Four Afghans shot during NATO protest

Afghan soldiers have shot dead four civilians who were demonstrating against a NATO-led attack in eastern Afghanistan, witnesses and a Reuters journalist said. Troops opened fire against the demonstrators who were protesting against the attack, which President Hamid Karzai's office said killed six civilians, including one woman. NATO said no civilians had died in the attack in Laghman province, north-east of Kabul, saying its forces had killed seven militants and arrested four. The acting head of Laghman's provincial council, Gulzar Sangarwal, said 13 civilians were killed in the pre-dawn raid in Armul village. A Reuters journalist in Armul saw the body of a woman and 12 men, including two teenagers, covered in shrouds. Some 5,000 villagers marched to protest against the attack chanting slogans against the provincial governor, Mr Karzai and foreign troops in Afghanistan, when Afghan troops opened fire. The Reuters journalist said he had seen four demonstrators hit by bullets when the Afghan troops opened fire from a vehicle.