It added: "ISAF deeply regrets any civilian casualties caused by this airstrike yesterday.
This graph shows the monthly tally of civilian casualties in Afghanistan caused by insurgents and coalition military forces (ISAF).
Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson, spokesman for the ISAF, said it was "highly likely" that Nato helicopters had caused the deaths on Saturday of the Pakistani soldiers.
ISAF reckons that across the country, 85% of civilian casualties in 2011 were caused by the Taliban.
On balance for 2010, ISAF-caused casualties increased by 15% and insurgent-caused decreased by 7%.
'The majority of civilian casualties in Afghanistan have been caused by Taliban suicide bombs and roadside bombs.' US Air Force Major John Thomas said that, after a long skirmish and under constant fire from the Taliban, troops of Isaf (the International Security Assistance Force), called for close air force support during an operation in Helmand, where the Taliban have been resurgent this year.
The International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said the cause of the crash is unknown, but an investigation has been launched into the incident.
The man later died of burns.What might most alarm ISAF's commanders, however, is that the massacre seemed to cause the greatest shock abroad, coming on top of a steady stream of ISAF casualties, the angry protests provoked by the Koran-burning, and the temporary withdrawal of foreign advisers from Mr Karzai's ministries after two of them were killed in Kabul last month.
While General Rodriguez could assume control of ISAF without a large learning curve, this would cause and even larger problem by leaving the positional of operational commander vacant at the height of the deadliest fighting season seen in the past 9 years of the war.
If President [Hamid] Karzai tells Isaf to get out, that's another matter.
A spokesman for Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said it was "highly likely" that aircraft which had been called into the area to provide "close air support" to troops on the ground was responsible for causing casualties among the Pakistani soldiers.
