Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


NATO Troops Kill 4 On Bus in Southern Afghanistan

   VOA News 12 April 2010
   Afghan  policemen  and  protesters stand near a bus after it was fired
   upon  by  international  troops  during  a  anti-American  protest  in
   Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 12, 2010

Photo: AP

   Afghan  policemen  and  protesters stand near a bus after it was fired
   upon  by  international  troops  during  a  anti-American  protest  in
   Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 12, 2010

   NATO  says  its  troops  opened  fire on a bus in southern Afghanistan
   Monday, killing at least four people and wounding 18 others.
   NATO  says  its  patrol  fired  on  a large vehicle  after the driver
   refused  warnings to stop in the Zhari district of Kandahar province.Â
   Upon  inspection,  NATO  says  its forces discovered the vehicle was a
   passenger bus. Â
   A woman was among those killed. NATO soldiers took some of the wounded
   to a military hospital.
   In a statement, the alliance says it deeply regrets the tragic loss of
   life.    A  combined  NATO  and  Afghan  team  arrived  in  Zhari  to
   investigate the events.
   Dozens  of Afghans took to the streets in Kandahar city to protest the
   killings.   Demonstrators  chanted  "Death to America" and called for
   the downfall of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.  They also blocked the
   main road out of the city.
   President Karzai condemned the killing in a statement, saying shooting
   a civilian bus violates NATO's commitment to safeguard civilian life.
   U.S. General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces
   in  Afghanistan,  told  Afghan  leaders earlier this month that troops
   under  his  command are making the strongest efforts possible to avoid
   civilian  casualties,  but  he  acknowledged his forces sometimes make
   mistakes.
   Elsewhere  in  Kandahar  Monday,  suicide  bombers attacked the Afghan
   intelligence services compound resulting in a deadly gunfight. Â
   Afghan officials say one bomber blew himself up and another was killed
   by security forces.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP.

.