Merkel ally steps down over Afghan deaths

Franz Josef Jung, 60, said he would quit as Labour minister after a barrage of calls to face up to his failure to disclose details of the September 4 air strike that the Afghan government say killed 69 Taliban and 30 civilians.

"I hereby assume the political responsibility for the internal communication policy of the defence ministry," said Jung, whose resignation followed that of his former deputy and the head of Germany's armed forces Thursday.

German forces called in a U.S. warplane to carry out the raid in Kunduz, the deadliest operation involving German troops since World War Two.

Jung had repeatedly denied civilians were killed in the attack, which has strengthened opposition to Germany's presence in Afghanistan as Merkel works to extend a mandate for the country's troops there.

Thursday Jung, a member of Merkel's Christian Democrats, admitted in parliament he had known for weeks of the existence of a military report that pointed to civilian deaths.

But he said he had had no "concrete knowledge" of its contents because it had been passed to NATO.

Newspapers across the political spectrum condemned Jung. One called the affair the first major crisis of Merkel's new centre-right administration, a month after it took office.

Parliament may order an investigation into the air strike.

Germany has some 4,250 troops in Afghanistan. Parliament is expected to renew a mandate next week which allows Merkel's government to deploy up to 4,500 in the country, but officials have indicated this number could be raised early next year.

The mission has become increasingly unpopular in Germany and other NATO states as violence has reached its deadliest levels since the Taliban was forced from power in 2001.

(Editing by Andrew Roche)