US troops fire on Afghan civilians

US troops opened fire on civilians near the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad today after a failed suicide car bomb attack on …

US troops opened fire on civilians near the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad today after a failed suicide car bomb attack on their convoy.

A witness said three suicide bombers in one vehicle attacked the convoy in the village of Bati Kot, 15 kilometres east of Jalalabad, but that none of the soldiers was hurt.

Two of the bombers were killed in the blast. The third, dressed in a police uniform, was shot dead by troops, the witness said.

A fire brigade vehicle crashed into the US vehicles. Troops inside then opened fire, wounding a number of bystanders.

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The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.

Elsewhere, Afghans staged protests in Jalalabad in March after US marines killed at least 10 civilians there following a suicide bomb attack.

Elsewhere, two Danish soldiers were killed in fighting with Taliban insurgents in the Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.