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US Soldier Kills 15 Civilians In Kandahar Province, Afghanistan

A US soldier in Afghanistan has shot dead 15 civilians and wounded others after entering their homes in Kandahar province, Afghan and NATO sources say. … Continue reading US Soldier Kills 15 Civilians In Kandahar Province, Afghanistan


Unknown American Soldier
Unknown American Soldier

A US soldier in Afghanistan has shot dead 15 civilians and wounded others after entering their homes in Kandahar province, Afghan and NATO sources say.

He reportedly left his base early in the morning to attack village homes. Nine children are among the dead.

The White House voiced “deep concern” and NATO-led forces in Afghanistan promised a rapid inquiry.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has condemned the attack and demanded an explanation from Washington.

In Kandahar’s Panjwai district, local people have gathered near the base to protest about Sunday’s killings, and the US embassy is advising against travel to the area.

Anti-US sentiment is already high in Afghanistan after US soldiers’ burnt copies of the Koran last month.

US officials have apologised repeatedly for the incident at a NATO base in Kabul but they failed to quell a series of protests and attacks that killed at least 30 people and six US troops.

The US embassy in Kabul is warning of possible anti-American reprisals. These latest killings can only play into the already severely strained relationship between the US and Afghanistan after US soldiers burned copies of the Koran at a Nato military base near Kabul.

That incident sparked violent anti-American demonstrations. Britain’s ambassador to Afghanistan has said that the latest incident is a “unique tragedy” and should not affect the timetable for the withdrawal of British and American combat troops by the end of 2014.

But Washington and Kabul are currently negotiating a long-term strategic partnership which will govern their relations from 2014 onwards. President Karzai was delivering a speech about the transition as news of today’s incident started to come in.

He stressed that any international forces remaining in the country then for training and other purposes would have to operate under strict guidelines regarding their responsibilities and when they could leave their bases.

He then made his way to the villages of Alkozai and Najeeban, about 500m (yds) from the base.

A local resident, Abdul Baqi, told the Associated Press news agency the soldier had apparently opened fire in three different houses.

“When it was happening in the middle of the night, we were inside our houses,” he said. “I heard gunshots and then silence and then gunshots again.”

In one house in Najeeban, the gunman reportedly killed 11 people, setting fire to their bodies before he left.

A relative of the 11 victims, Haji Samad, told Reuters news agency chemicals had been poured over the bodies and set alight.

“I saw that all 11 of my relatives were killed, including my children and grandchildren,” he added, weeping.