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Afghan cops open fire on protesters, 13 die

MAZAR-I-SHARIF: Thirteen people were killed and 35 wounded in Afghanistan on Monday when police opened fire to break up a violent protest against a provincial governor, witnesses said.

More than 1,000 people were protesting to demand the removal of Juma Khan Hamdard, governor of the northern province of Jowzjan, and were throwing stones at several government offices in Shiberghan, the provincial capital, witnesses said. Police fired to stop the protesters from raiding the offices, the witnesses said. A provincial government spokesman said the protesters were supporters of General Abdul Rashid Dostum.

“We’ve got 13 dead and 35 wounded,” said Naqibullah, a doctor at Shiberghan’s main hospital, adding some of the wounded were in critical condition. Four police were also wounded, but it was not clear how, witnesses said. Provincial spokesman Rohullah Samun, confirmed the casualties but said they were caused by the protesters. He said police fired into the air to disperse the protesters. “They were militias of Dostum,” he said.

Meanwhile, a suicide attack aimed at US private security contractors in northern Afghanistan killed two Afghan civilians and wounded another on Monday, officials said. A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the attack and said six soldiers were killed in the blast. agencies

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