Afghan murder charge for Canadian

About 2,700 Canadian soldiers are in Afghanistan

Canadian military police have charged a Canadian officer with murdering an unarmed Afghan man in Helmand Province last year.

Captain Robert Semrau is accused of shooting and killing a man officials described as a "presumed insurgent".

Capt Semrau was with a mentoring team helping Afghan soldiers in Helmand at the time of the death "on or about" 19 October of last year.

Taleban insurgents had launched a major offensive in Helmand at the time.

Capt Semrau is being held by military police before being transferred back to Canada to face a military judge, the Canadian defence ministry said.

He was charged "with one count of second-degree murder" and "is accused of shooting, with intent to kill, an unarmed male person", Canadian military police investigators said in a statement.

Fierce attacks

Military officials launched their investigation into the death of the Afghan man after being informed of the allegations on 27 December.

Canada has about 2,700 soldiers in Afghanistan serving as part of Nato's International Security Assistance Force.

Since their mission was stepped up in 2006, 106 have been killed.

Most are based in Kandahar, but in mid-October a group of Canadian mentors was with Afghan troops in neighbouring Helmand, where the Taleban had launched fierce attacks on the key town of Lashkar Gah.

Afghan and Nato officials said at least 100 insurgents had died in the battle.