There are those who use civilians as human shields

...and there are those who give their lives to shield them.

Insurgent Activity Causes Civilian Casualty in Logar

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs

Courtesy Story
Date: 04.03.2009

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan national security forces and International Security Assistance Force troops conducted an operation in Baraki Rajan, Logar province, today that resulted in the capture of five suspected insurgents.

The incident was initiated when ISAF troops discovered a large group of insurgents placing improvised explosive devices on a road. During their retreat to a nearby compound, the insurgents attacked ISAF troops with small arms fire. The compound was also fortified with heavy machine gun positions. The insurgents declined an ISAF offer to surrender peacefully once their compound was cordoned.

ISAF troops also requested that any women and children in the compound be released unharmed by insurgent forces. No civilians left the compound.

ISAF troops, along with ANSF forces responding to the incident, exposed themselves to great personal risk by choosing to assault the compound rather than initially using air munitions. During the gunfire that resulted from the incident, twelve male insurgents were killed. Upon subsequent investigation of the compound, ANSF troops discovered one woman who was believed to have been killed in the crossfire.

An investigation is being conducted by ANSF at the site. Initial indications show that the woman was killed by insurgent small arms fire.

Significant amounts of weapons were discovered in the compound, including eight AK47 rifles, two rocket propelled grenade launchers, several rocket canisters, 82mm mortars, and two heavy machine guns.

(emphasis added)

And then there are those who claim that we're "just air-raiding villages and killing civilians" in Afghanistan, who should read reports like this one.

Oh, and there are also those who report the same story like this (again, emphasis added):

Afghan battle kills 12 militants, 1 civilian
AMIR SHAH

The Associated Press

KABUL - Coalition and Afghan forces killed 12 militants and one civilian in a province next to the Afghan capital in a mission that included airstrikes, an Afghan official said Friday, while a member of the NATO-led force was killed in violence in the east.

The joint coalition-Afghan mission late Thursday killed the 12 militants in Logar, one province south of Kabul, said Mustafa Mosseini, the provincial police chief. He said that militants forced their way into a civilian home and that a civilian woman was also killed during the battle.