AFP - Afghan President Hamid Karzai met villagers in a remote valley where dozens of civilians were killed in US-led raids last month and said he had told foreign forces to take more care.

The president travelled to the Zerkoh Valley in the western province of Herat, where the late April battles left around 50 to 60 civilians dead, including women and children, according to UN and Afghan investigations.

The operation involved US Special Forces and the US-led coalition, which said 136 Taliban fighters were killed. The coalition is investigating claims of civilian deaths.

Villagers who met with Karzai said they did not want the foreign troops to leave but "we want them to conduct operations in coordination with Afghan troops."

Karzai made a similar demand when he met the commanders of the coalition and the separate NATO-led force days after the Herat bombing.

The killings sparked protests by hundreds of villagers, who shouted "Death to America." Some demanded the US-led forces leave the country.

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