All Trought about politic at Ukraine

The blast was thought to have burned alive villagers as they gathered to collect fuel from the tankers when one became stuck in a river.

Nato officials insisted the strike had killed a large number of militants, but said they were investigating the reports that civilians had died as well.

The incident is the biggest accusation of civilian deaths since General Stanley McChrystal took charge of Nato-led forces vowing he was more interested in protecting Afghans than hunting the Taliban.

New tactical advice has cut the number of air strikes blamed for turning Afghans against international forces because of accidental civilian casualties.

A spokesman for the Nato forces said two tankers were stolen at 10pm on Thursday evening by a band of insurgents including Chechen fighters.

They were later spotted on the banks of the Kunduz river, near the Tajikistan border, and blown up “after assessments that only

insurgents were present”.

He said a large number of militants had been killed, but reports of civilian casualties were being investigated.

Mohammad Daud, 32, said insurgents had hijacked the tankers destined for foreign troops and were trying to transport them across a river to villages in Angorbagh.

When one became stuck in the river, the fighters called for villagers to take the fuel.

He said: “Villagers rushed to the fuel tanker with any available container that they had, including water buckets and pots for cooking oil.

"There were 10 to 15 Taliban on top of the tanker. This was when they were bombed. Everyone around the fuel tanker died.”

Mohammad Sarwar, a tribal elder in the province, said: "We blame both the Taliban and the government for this.”

Baryalai Basharyar Parwani, police chief of the Ali Abad district in northern Kunduz province said 60 people were killed and injured, but the governor, Mohammad Omar, said the toll could be as high as 90.