The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) is gathering information about possible war crimes committed by NATO soldiers and insurgents in Afghanistan.

"What we are trying to assess is ... different types of allegations, including massive attacks, collateral damage exceeding what is considered proper, and torture," Luis Moreno Ocampo told reporters in New York on Wednesday.

Afghanistan is one of the 110 countries that have ratified the Rome treaty which created The Hague-based permanent war crimes tribunal. Any war crime or crime against humanity committed on its territory by Afghan nationals or foreigners is of interest to the court, the chief prosecutor said.

"Preliminary examination"

Ocampo said he had received "allegations from many different sources" that he was looking into in Afghanistan. If the preliminary examination shows grounds, a full investigation could be then launched. He confirmed that allegations involved both the Taliban and NATO forces.

However, he added, "there would be no need for an ICC investigation if the Afghan authorities launch credible proceedings of their own, unless Kabul or the UN Security Council specifically ask the court to get involved."

The international prosecutor added that his preliminary examination was "exceedingly complex" and time-consuming because of the difficulty of gathering information there. But he said non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in the country have been helping him out.

The prosecutor is also conducting preliminary inquiries on possible war crimes or crimes against humanity in Georgia, Colombia, Kenya, Ivory Coast, and by Israeli forces in Gaza. He plans to open four new official investigations in the next three years, but he refused to disclose any details.

(Sources: AP/Reuters/ICC)