(CNN) -- The commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan is warning troops of increased high-profile attacks over the summer, calling on NATO-led forces to balance its tactical needs with those of the civilian population.
It is likely that insurgents will pursue high-profile attacks this summer in an attempt to demonstrate their ability to strike, Gen. David Petraeus said in a memorandum to the International Security Assistance Force.
"These attacks may increase the risk of civilian casualties and put Afghan and ISAF forces in difficult situations," Petraeus said in a memorandum made public Saturday.
"In the face of such enemy actions, we must continue our efforts to reduce civilian casualties to an absolute minimum."
The memorandum, posted on the ISAF website, comes as the Taliban and al Qaeda have claimed responsibility for an increased number of attacks against security forces in Afghanistan and U.S. targets in Pakistan.
Both groups have said many of the attacks were in retaliation after U.S. commandos killed Osama bin Laden this month.
Petraeus ordered forces to review civilian casualty directives, saying troops must achieve "the proper balance between aggressiveness and patience."
Anger in Afghanistan and Pakistan over civilian casualties has mounted in recent months following NATO air strikes that have killed dozens along their shared border.
In March, Defense Secretary Robert Gates offered a personal apology to Afghan President Hamid Karzai for the killings of nine boys in a helicopter attack targeting insurgents.
The apology came after Karzai said one made earlier by Petraeus was insufficient.
Weeks later, the international force said civilians were accidentally killed during a NATO airstrike in Afghanistan's Helmand province. The target was two vehicles believed to be carrying a Taliban leader, ISAF said.
Petraeus' warning also comes as he must decide on the number of troop reductions in Afghanistan to meet President Barack Obama's self-imposed deadline to begin withdrawing U.S. forces by July.
The president has repeatedly said he is confident the United States can meet the self-imposed deadline without compromising Afghan security, though military commanders and government officials have raised concern about the readiness of Afghan security forces.
Petraeus testified earlier this year before Congress about the plans, saying he was likely to recommend that some combat troops be among the first to return to the United States.
He has said significant progress has been made against the Taliban over the past five years. But he also has warned the progress is "fragile and reversible."
"We are at a pivotal moment in our work here, and I believe it would be valuable for every leader in ISAF to reread these documents and to internalize and employ the principles in them," Petraeus said in memorandum dated May 15, 2011.
