Afghans protest US raid, official says 4 killed

Afghan demonstrators blocked the path of a U.S. military convoy in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday after an overnight U.S. raid killed four Afghans and wounded two, officials and protesters said. Afghan demonstrators in the eastern city of Khost threw rocks at the convoy, shouted "Death to America" and burned tires in the road, sending up dark plumes of smoke. AP Television News footage showed several hundred men gathered in the street blocking the vehicles' path, but there were no direct clashes between the convoy and protesters. The demonstrators were condemning an early morning raid in Khost province that killed four people and wounded two, Tahir Khan Sabari, Khost deputy governor, told The Associated Press. Sabari said the four killed were civilians, but the U.S. said they were militants. The U.S. military said both Afghan and coalition forces raided an Afghan home, and they were fired on by militants when they arrived. The forces killed what the U.S. said were four men linked to the militant network of Siraj Haqqani. One militant was wounded and four were detained, the U.S. said in a statement. The U.S. said 14 women and 26 children were "protected" during the raid, but did not give further details. The forces found weapons, explosives and materials to make bombs, the U.S. said. Overnight raids are typically targeted missions by U.S. Special Operations Forces that seek to capture or kill high-ranking militant leaders. Despite the U.S. statement, Sabari said the raid took place without the participation of Afghan forces despite a recent agreement between U.S. forces and the Ministry of Defense saying Afghans would take part in overnight raids to prevent civilian casualties and help with cultural issues, like entering homes and language difficulties. President Hamid Karzai has complained loudly the last several months about civilian deaths, and has pleaded with the U.S. and NATO to prevent such killings.