Col. Thomas Collins, a coalition spokesman, voiced regret for any deaths and
injuries. He said a large cargo truck in a coalition convoy had suffered a
mechanical failure and hit as many as 12 civilian vehicles at a busy
intersection. He said the coalition was conducting an investigation.
He confirmed there was gunfire at the scene, and that coalition personnel in
one military vehicle had fired over the crowd.
"This was a tragic incident and we deeply regret any deaths or injuries
resulting from this incident," Collins in a statement. "We will determine the
facts regarding the incident and cooperate fully with Afghan authorities."
The U.S.-led coalition said at least one person was killed and six injured in
the crash. Afghan Health Ministry spokesman Abdullah Fahim said five bodies were
brought to hospitals in Kabul and 60 more Afghans were treated for injuries.
He said there were no foreigners among the wounded or dead. He had no details
on how the casualties occurred, and it wasn't immediately clear if the toll
included people from the traffic accident.
Witnesses said the incident began when a convoy of at least three U.S.
Humvees came into the city from the outskirts and hit several civilian cars in
rush-hour traffic jam.
"The American convoy hit all the vehicles which were in their way. They
didn't care about the civilians at all," said Mohammad Wali, 21, a shopkeeper.
Three people were killed and 16 wounded in the crash, said Sher Shah Usafi, a
Kabul police chief. U.S. forces then fired on the crowd, killing one person and
wounding two, he said.
A commander with the city's traffic police who was at the scene said he also
saw U.S. forces firing on protesters. He spoke on condition of anonymity because
he was not authorized to speak to the media.
AP Television News video showed hundreds of angry young men hurling rocks at
what appeared to be three U.S. military trucks and three Humvees as they sped
from the area after the crash, their windscreens cracked by the stones.
A center-mounted machine gun on one of the Humvees was seen firing into the
air over the crowd as the vehicle sped away. The video also showed an Afghan man
apparently hurt in the riots lying on the ground, being comforted by others
around him.
An AP reporter said he saw about 10 Afghan police firing into a crowd of
about 50 demonstrators, and that U.S. troops had already left the area. The
protesters scattered when the firing erupted, but later regrouped.
Two helicopters belonging to a NATO-led peacekeeping force hovered over the
area.
Phones in Kabul were only working sporadically. Repeated attempts to get
through to the city's hospitals to get a casualty toll from the unrest were
unsuccessful.
State television cut transmission of a live broadcast of parliament when one
angry lawmaker interrupted the proceedings to protest the incident.
"I have seen the incident. ... I come from that area and I have to tell you,"
Taj Mohammed Mujahid shouted before the house speaker ruled him out of order and
the screen went black.
Transmission resumed minutes later and parliamentary speaker Yunus Qanooni
called for calm.
"We call on the people to be tolerant because there is the risk this could be
exploited by our enemies," he said, referring to Taliban rebels who are waging a
fierce insurgency in the country's southern and eastern regions.
He said the Cabinet was discussing the matter.
Afghans often complain about what they call the aggressive driving tactics of
the U.S. military. Convoys often pass through crowded areas at high speeds and
sometimes disregard road rules. The U.S. military says such tactics are
necessary to protect troops from attack.
