Thirteen people were killed and 35 wounded in Afghanistan today when police opened fire to break up a violent protest against a provincial governor.
More than 1,000 people were protesting to demand the removal of Juma Khan Hamdard, governor of the northern province of Jowzjan, and were throwing stones at several government offices in Shiberghan, the provincial capital.
Witnesses said police fired to stop the protesters from raiding the offices.
A provincial government spokesman said the protesters were supporters of General Abdul Rashid Dostum, for years a powerful military commander in the north of Afghanistan.
A doctor at Shiberghan's main hospital said 13 were dead and 35 wounded. Four police were also wounded, but it was not clear how.
Provincial spokesman Rohullah Samun, confirmed the casualties but said they were caused by the protesters.
He said police fired into the air to disperse the protesters. He said the protesters had staged an "uprising against the provincial government" and wanted to bring down the government flag and install that of Gen Dostum's faction.
By midday, the protests came to an end and by then army troops were stationed in key government buildings to maintain order and help police.
Gen Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek and a former communist, has been involved in a series of coups and regime changes in nearly three decades of Afghanistan's conflict. He considered northern areas as his fiefdom, but his powers have been reduced to a large extent in recent years, though he still is officially a military aide to President Hamid Karzai.