Norwegian troops may have beaten Afghans

OSLO, Norway, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The Norwegian military is investigating allegations its troops kicked and beat civilians in Afghanistan, Aftenposten reported Wednesday.

The allegations came as part of a master's thesis written by degree candidate and military officer Tom Blix at the University of Oslo. Blix interviewed seven Norwegian soldiers who had been deployed in Afghanistan as part of the NATO counter-insurgency mission.

He wrote that civilians were beaten and kicked when they refused to follow orders to leave a shooting range, where they were collecting spent shell casings to recycle for cash, Aftenposten said.

Vice Admiral Jan Erik Finseth ordered an investigation into the allegations and Blix said he has been in talks with the Norwegian Defense Ministry, the report said.

There was no indication of when or where in the country the alleged incidents occurred.