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Kandhar shooting exposes rift between Karzai and the US
Afghan president Hamid Karzai accused guards working for the United States-led coalition force of killing a provincial police chief and at least four other security officers during a gun battle outside a government office.
The governor of Kandahar said 41 private security guards connected to the incident yesterday had been disarmed and arrested by Afghan authorities.
The US forces said they were not involved in the shooting, calling it an "Afghan-on-Afghan incident." However, Mr Karzai suggested that the guards tried to hide in a US base after the killings.
The situation exposed the often prickly relations between Mr Karzai, right, and American officials.
The fighting began after Afghan forces moved into a heavily-protected government complex in Kandahar and demanded the release of a man accused of forging documents.
When the Afghan forces threatened to take the suspect by force, the provincial police chief was called in, an argument broke out and the shooting started.
Among the officials killed were provincial police chief Matiullah Qati and the province's criminal investigations director. Total death tolls given by Afghan officials ranged from between five to 10 police killed. A US military spokesman said no American military forces were present or involved in the incident.
Later governor Thoryalai Wesa said 41 private guards had been disarmed and arrested and would be sent to Kabul for trial.
The killing of Kandahar's top police officer is a blow to security efforts. Coalition soldiers are deploying to Kandahar later this summer, part of an anti-Taliban surge that will see the total number of US forces in the country brought to 68,000.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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