NATO airstrike kills or wounds dozens
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A NATO airstrike on a pair of hijacked fuel trucks in northern Afghanistan early Friday killed or injured at least 81 people -- a mix of Taliban militants and civilians, provincial government officials said.
A victim of an ISAF airstrike on a hijacked oil tanker is carried into the Kunduz hospital on Friday.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he was "deeply saddened" by the deaths in Kunduz province. His office issued a statement saying he had ordered envoys to go to the area, investigate the incident and report back to him as soon as possible.
The delegates are from the Ministry of Interior Affairs, National Directorate of Security, and the Provincial Administrative Department, according to the statement.
There were conflicting reports about the number of casualties.
A spokesman for the provincial governor, Mahboobullah Sayeedi, said more than 90 people were killed, with most of the casualties occurring among militants.
Provincial Police Chief Rasaq Yaqubi said 81 were killed -- 56 Taliban and 25 "thieves," who he said were trying to steal fuel from the tankers.
NATO provided no casualty figures, but said the strike was carried out after "it was determined that there were only insurgents in the area," said Christine Sidenstricker of NATO's International Security Assistance Force, also known as ISAF. 
Watch more about the airstrikes »
"A large number of insurgents were killed or injured," she said. "We've received reports that civilians were also injured or killed."
Afghan officials also were investigating the allegations, according to Sidenstricker. 
See images of the strike aftermath »
The fuel trucks were commandeered late Thursday in Kunduz province and were then spotted several hours later on the banks of the Kunduz River, ISAF said.
The hijacked vehicles became stuck in the Chardara area of the Ali Abaad district while trying to cross the river, according to Sayeedi.
Militants had commandeered the trucks, which were carrying fuel for NATO forces, he said. People tried to empty fuel from the tankers when they couldn't go any farther.
With the trucks stuck on the riverbank, a military attack was called in. "After an assessment, it was determined that there were only insurgents in the area" and "the local ISAF commander ordered an airstrike, which destroyed the fuel trucks," Sidenstricker said.
CNN's Wahid Mayar contributed to this report.
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