Germany paid $20,000 to Afghan victims: Spiegel

BERLIN: Germany's Der Spiegel magazine says the Defence Ministry has paid a total of USD 20,000 to the families of three Afghan civilians killed last month at a security checkpoint.

The ministry has confirmed that a payment was made to the victims' families but has not given a sum. It says the payment was not an admission of guilt.

Der Spiegel reported the payment figure yesterday in an article released in advance of its planned publication today.

It says the woman and two children were killed when German security forces opened fire on their vehicle after it failed to stop at a checkpoint near Kunduz in northern Afghanistan.

The ministry says a soldier is being investigated in the incident.