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United States to cease Afghan night raids

Airman 1st Class Justin Cole, Tech. Sgt. Marcus Cottengim and Chief Master Sgt. Roy Cupper conduct a pre-flight inspection on an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle prior to a night mission. UPI/Jonathan Snyder/U.S. Air Force
Airman 1st Class Justin Cole, Tech. Sgt. Marcus Cottengim and Chief Master Sgt. Roy Cupper conduct a pre-flight inspection on an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle prior to a night mission. UPI/Jonathan Snyder/U.S. Air Force | License Photo

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. military signed an agreement with Afghanistan in Kabul Sunday to stop launching night-time raids on insurgent targets, officials said.

U.S. Gen. John Allen and Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak signed the agreement that will put the raids under Afghan authority with U.S. technical guidance, The New York Times reported.

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Frustration with the U.S.-led NATO intervention to roust Taliban and al-Qaida extremists has been growing in Afghanistan for more than a year. U.S. relations with neighboring Pakistan are also under strain over military raids in border areas.

Sunday's night raid agreement was the second easing of U.S. authority in Afghanistan in a month. On March 8, the two countries signed a deal transferring U.S. authority of the military prison in Parwan to Afghan forces.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force has been fighting in Afghanistan since December 2001.

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