The defence ministry says that at least 80 Afghan civilians have been killed and 120 injured since mid 2006 when the Dutch mission in the country began, reports NRC Handelsblad.

The majority of the deaths and injuries were in the province of Uruzgan and were caused by Dutch soldiers.
In total the Dutch have paid out €350,000 in compensation to victims’ families, home owners and farmers whose propery or land has been destroyed by military action, the defence department said.
The announcement followed the publication of figures by RTL News which had used the right to public information laws to obtain the numbers. According to the ministry the figures published by RTL (110 deaths and 90 injured) were incorrect, says the NRC Handelsblad.
But the news organisation sticks by its original figures, saying these are based on data from the United Nations, reports the paper.
According to RTL, the figures show that most of the compensation paid by the Dutch in Afghanistan has been for damage caused to property and that relatives of those killed or injured have received little.
The defence ministry says that the Netherlands sometimes contributes to damages caused by coalition troops in Uruzgan. As well as the Dutch, the Australians, British and Americans are also active in the province.
Civilian deaths are the biggest cause of friction between western troops and the Afghan government.
Politically sensitive
Socialist MP Harry van Bommel has called on defence minister Eimert van Middelkoop to inform parliament ‘immediately’ about civilian deaths in Afghanistan, reports the NRC.
The issue of Dutch troops in Afghanistan is politically sensitive and has split the coalition. The Dutch mandate for participation in the UN mission expires in August next year after being extended for a year but the US recently put pressure on the Netherlands to continue supplying military support in the country.
Around 1,700 Dutch troops are currently stationed in Uruzgan and over 20 Dutch soldiers have died in the province.