Wounded Afghans say U.S. forces fired on civilians after suicide bomb

JALALABAD, Afghanistan – A U.S. Marine convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber and militant ambush Sunday on a busy highway in eastern Afghanistan, and witnesses said that as the Americans sped away, they opened fire on civilian cars and pedestrians. As many as 10 people were killed and 35 were wounded.\nThe American military said it was unclear who was responsible for the casualties, but more than a half dozen Afghans recuperating from bullet wounds told The Associated Press that the U.S. forces fired indiscriminately as they drove away along at least a six-mile stretch of one of eastern Afghanistan’s busiest highways – a route often filled not only with cars and trucks but Afghans on foot and bicycles.\nA suicide attacker detonated an explosives-filled minivan as the American convoy approached, then militant gunmen fired on the troops inside the vehicles, who returned fire, the U.S. military said.\nThe Americans treated every car and person along the highway as a potential attacker, said Mohammad Khan Katawazi, the district chief of Shinwar.\n“They were firing everywhere, and they even opened fire on 14 to 15 vehicles passing on the highway,” said Tur Gul, 38, who was standing on the roadside by a gas station and was shot twice in his right hand. “They opened fire on everybody, the ones inside the vehicles and the ones on foot.”\nLt. Col. David Accetta, a U.S. military spokesman, said officials were still sorting out the chain of events and could not yet say who caused the numerous deaths and injuries.\nThe tolls varied widely. The Interior Ministry said 10 people were killed; the provincial health chief, Ajmel Pardus, said eight died.\nThe U.S. military said eight civilians were killed and 35 wounded, after earlier saying 16 were killed and 24 wounded. It did not explain the revised, lower death toll, saying only that the new figures were “the most accurate numbers to date.” A U.S. soldier was also injured. The incident was under investigation, the military said.