Protests, attacks hit Afghanistan in wake of massacre - attack Afghan delegation at site of US soldier’s rampage

By Msnbc.com and wire services

Thousands of people took to the streets in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday to protest the killing of 16 civilians by a U.S. soldier, burning an effigy of Barak Obama and calling for the killer to be tried in Afghanistan.

Demonstrators in the city of Jalalabad chanted "Death to America -- Death to Obama" and blocked the main highway to Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, Britain's Daily Telegraph reported.
"Jihad (holy war) is the only way to get the invading Americans out of Afghanistan," one banner read, according to the newspaper.

The demonstrators also demanded that President Hamid Karzai reject plans to sign a strategic pact with Washington that would allow U.S. advisers and possibly special forces to remain beyond a 2014 deadline for foreign combat troops to leave Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, militants attacked an Afghan government delegation that was visiting the site of the killings, the BBC reported.

"I can confirm that the Taliban have launched an attack from several directions against a government delegation," a senior official told the BBC. "At this stage, our forces are returning fire.''

Nine children and three women were among those killed in the massacre. According to reports, a 38-year-old staff sergeant had left his base in Panjwai district early on Sunday and broke into the victim's homes. Some of the bodies were burned.

[link to worldnews.msnbc.msn.com]

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Militants attack Afghan delegation at site of US soldier’s rampage

Afghan militants have attacked an Afghan government delegation visiting the site where a US soldier reportedly killed 16 civilians. The attackers opened fire on the delegation from several sides on Tuesday, AP reports. It was not immediately clear if there have been any casualties.

[link to rt.com]