KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday condemned as "unforgivable" the slaughter of 16 villagers in their homes by an American soldier."When Afghan people are killed deliberately by US forces this action is murder and terror and an unforgivable action," Karzai said in statement.
An American soldier entered the homes of civilians in the southern Kandahar province and killed 16 people including nine children and three women, the statement said.
"The government and the people of Afghanistan demand an explanation from the United States government of this incident," Karzai said.
- Washington offered condolences to the families of the victims.
"The United States extends deepest condolences to the families of today's tragic shooting and we're saddened by this violent act against our Afghan friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, a US State Department spokeswoman said. - Nato spokesman Justin Brockhoff said a US service member had been detained at a Nato base as the alleged shooter. The casualties were evacuated to Nato medical facilities, he added.
The attack took place in two villages in the Panjwai district of southern Kandahar province. The villages — Balandi and Alkozai — are about 500 metres away from a US base. The shooting started around 3am, said Asadullah Khalid, the government representative for southern Afghanistan and a member of the delegation that went to investigate the incident.A resident of the village of Alkozai, Abdul Baqi said that based on accounts of his neighbours, the American gunman went into three different houses and opened fire.
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