NATO defiant on Afghan night raids

KABUL: NATO said Monday that US-led forces in Afghanistan will continue night raids, despite renewed objections from Afghan President Hamid Karzai after a pregnant woman was killed during an operation.

Afghan Special Forces will increasingly take the lead in such operations, spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson said, without giving a precise timetable.

Night-time raids are one of the most contentious issues in Afghanistan.