Tribesmen say that the deaths were civilians, while the occupation forces allege that they are "rebels".

Afghan authorities started a probe into the deaths of four people said to be killed by NATO occupation forces in the country’s south.

Dozens of tribesmen paraded the bodies of the dead men in the town of Lashkar Gar, Helmand province, saying they were civilians killed in an overnight raid on their homes in Sangin district.

"They were civilians. The Americans came and killed them," angry tribal chief Atta Mohammad told AFP from Lashkar Gar.
“They always come and kill our sons, our youths, in their beds. For God's sake, what's happening here?"

However, occupation forces alleged that the dead people were “rebels”.
"The NATO force told us that they killed four people and that they were rebels. We're now investigating to find out whether they were rebels or civilians," Daud Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Helmand provincial administration, told AFP.

A spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul confirmed that they had conducted an operation in the area but could not give further details.