Afghan police open fire on demonstrators,killing 7

During a protest against a provisional governor, Afghan police opened fire on the crowd killing seven civilians and injuring thirty, BBC News reported Monday. The demonstrators, supporters of the Uzbek fighter Gen. Rashid Dostum, were posted outside government offices in Shiberghan to show their support amidst tensions between Governor Joma Khan Hamdard and Dostum.

A spokesperson for Hamdard characterized the demonstration as a “public uprising” against the governor. Dostum is among the most controversial figures in Afghan politics. In the 1980s he sided with the Soviet Union and in 2001 he was accused of authorizing egregious acts of torture that left hundreds of detainees dead in the U.S. fight against the Taliban.

BBC News also reports the death of more than 20 civilians after a bombing raid, marking heightened violence that has not been seen since the defeat of Taliban forces in 2001. U.S. coalition representatives have denied allegations of increased civilian deaths following the release of a Red Cross critique of ineffective bombing raids.

For the full article, click here.