Report: US coalition kills civilians in Afghanistan

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Dozens of protesters blocked a road Saturday in eastern Afghanistan, claiming that US-led coalition forces killed three civilians. Villagers from the area carried the three bodies to a major highway during the protest, in which police allegedly opened fire, killing one and wounding three. The coalition said its troops were attacked while searching compounds Friday in the Shinwar district of Nangarhar province. "Several militants were killed" and nine insurgents were arrested, it said in a statement Saturday. The coalition said the operation was targeting a "foreign fighter network" and that militants in the area had recently attacked coalition forces. The troops destroyed several automatic rifles, grenades and ammunition discovered in the compounds. Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary said the government is investigating the villagers' claims.