PAN, October 25, 2009

US forces open fire at civilians after bomb attack

However, an official, who declined to be identified, told this news agency that one civilian was killed and three others sustained injuries in the gunshots fired by the US forces

Abdul Moeed Hashimi

US forces on Sunday opened fire at civilians in eastern Laghman province after coming under a bomb attack this noon, killing a civilian and wounding three others, an official and a tribal elder said.

The incident came a day after foreign forces in Kandahar killed four civilians in a car after its driver failed to stop.

The bomb attack happened on the US forces in Safi Qala area of Mehtarlam city, provincial capital at 1pm.

A tribal elder named Zabardast Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News soon after the blast, two helicopters arrived at the scene and airlifted the dead and wounded soldiers.

He added after the blast, the forces cordoned off four villages.

Governor Lutfullah Mashal also confirmed the attack on US forces, but gave no details.

However, he rejected the report that the forces had fired at civilians.

Head of the Laghan Civil Hospital, Abdul Latif Qayumi said a seriously injured girl was brought to the hospital who was referred to Nangarhar civil hospital.

However, an official, who declined to be identified, told this news agency that one civilian was killed and three others sustained injuries in the gunshots fired by the US forces.

US forces have so far issued no statement about the blast and fire incident.

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