Afghanistan massacre: West braced for backlash to rogue US soldier’s killing spree

NATO troops have been warned to brace themselves for reprisals following the massacre of 15 civilians by a rogue United States soldier in Afghanistan.

The American reportedly left his base at 3am yesterday and moved methodically door to door in a village in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province, shooting residents – including nine children – before handing himself in.

The shooting comes just weeks after US troops burned copies of the Koran, sparking violent riots in Afghanistan in which at least 30 people died.

Afghan president Hamid Karzai condemned the killings. “This is an assassination, an intentional killing of innocent civilians, and cannot be forgiven,” he said.

The US embassy in Kabul has warned of possible anti- American reprisals. It said citizens should brace themselves for “anti-American feelings and protests in coming days”.

The White House said it was “deeply concerned” by reports of what had happened.

The UK government has expressed its condolences but insisted it should not detract from the good work Nato is doing in the region.

A Foreign Office spokes-woman said: “As our ambassador in Kabul has said, this was a tragic event and our hearts and sympathies go out to the families of those who have died.

“As far as we are aware it was an abhorrent act by a single individual and not part of any Nato operation.

“As Nato have made clear, this appalling incident in no way represents the important work of Nato ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) over the last ten years in Afghanistan, their values and their abiding respect for the Afghan people.”

However, the killings will further damage relations between Afghans and US and UK troops.

Last week six British soldiers were killed in an explosion in Helmand. The single worst attack on UK forces in Afghanistan took the death toll among British troops, since 2001 past 400. The killings will also add pressure to speed up the planned withdrawal of most foreign troops from Afghanistan, set for the end of 2014.

David Cortright, the director of policy studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, and an advocate for a quick withdrawal, said: “This is a fatal hammer-blow on the US military mission in Afghanistan.

“Whatever sliver of trust and credibility we might have had following the burnings of the Koran is now gone.

“This may have been the act of a lone, deranged soldier, but the people of Afghanistan will see it for what it was, a wanton massacre of innocent civilians.”

The soldier responsible has not been named, but was reportedly a staff sergeant.

Afghan officials on the ground initially reported that 16 people had been killed, but this was later reduced to 15. Some of the bodies had reportedly been burned, while others were covered with blankets.

A young boy, partially wrapped in a blanket, was in the back of a minibus, with dried blood crusted on his face and pooled in his ear.

Alongside him lay the body of a smaller child wearing what appeared to be red pyjamas. A third was found amid a pile of green blankets in the bed of a lorry.

Haji Samad said many members of his family were dead. “I saw that 11 of my relatives were killed, including my children and grandchildren,” he said. A woman from the area said: “No Taleban were here. No gun battle was going on.

“We don’t know why this foreign soldier came and killed our innocent family members. Either he was drunk or he was enjoying killing civilians.”

The Taleban have been quick to attempt to capitalise on local anger.

“The so-called American peace-keepers have once again quenched their thirst with the blood of innocent Afghan civilians in Kandahar province,” the insurgent group said in a statement posted online.

The soldier is understood to have suffered a breakdown before going on the rampage.

Lieutenant-General Adrian Bradshaw, the deputy commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, expressed his regrets and dismay at the deaths.

“I cannot explain the motivation behind such callous acts, but they were in no way part of authorised ISAF military activity,” he said.

Caitlin Hayden, spokes-woman for the White House national security council, said: “We are deeply concerned by the initial reports of this incident and are monitoring the situation closely.”