POLICE opened fire during an angry demonstration in western Afghanistan yesterday, where marchers protested against a US airstrike that the Red Cross says killed dozens of civilians.
One person received a gunshot wound from police fire aimed at trying to control the crowd and prevent them from breaking into the provincial governor's compound in Farah City, deputy governor Younus Rasuli said by telephone.
"They threw stones at
the compound and police had to stop them," he said.
The crowd of about 200 demonstrators chanted anti-US slogans as it pelted the building with rocks.
A member of Farah's provincial council helped the US investigate two sites where airstrikes took place this week.
Abdul Basir Khan said 55 people died at one location and 92 at another. He said many of the dead were buried in mass graves.
Mr Khan said he compiled the numbers from family interviews and visiting grave sites, and gave it to investigators from Kabul.
The US airstrikes hit villages in Bala Boluk district, Farah province during a battle on Monday night and Tuesday, with the full extent of the casualties only coming to light late on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Red Cross said it had seen dozens of dead bodies.
US defence secretary Robert Gates said yesterday he regretted all civilian deaths, but added that he had heard reports the Taleban had thrown grenades into houses in Farah to create casualties that could be blamed on American forces.
"We all know that the Taleban use civilian casualties and sometimes create them, to create problems for the United States and our coalition partners. We will have to wait and see what happened in this particular case," he told a news conference in the Afghan capital.
