The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Batikot

U.S. troops opened fire on civilians near the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Thursday after a failed suicide car bomb atack on their convoy, a Reuters witness said.

There was no immediate comment on the reported incident either from U.S.-led coalition forces or from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The witness said three suicide bombers in one vehicle atacked a convoy of U.S. troops in the village of Bati Kot, 15 km (9 miles) east of Jalalabad, but none of the soldiers was hurt

Two of the bombers were immediately killed in the blast The third, dressed in a police uniform, survived only to be shot dead by troops, the witness said. A fire brigade vehicle arriving at speed at the scene then suffered brake failure and rammed into the U.S. vehicles. Troops inside then opened fire, wounding a number of bystanders.

"I saw everything," said Reuters correspondent Noor Mohammad Sherzai. "I saw the suicide bomb atack t

"I saw the fire brigade vehicle rushing to the area at top speed, somehow its brakes failed and hit one police vehicle and coalition vehicles, then the Americans started firing at the people and everyone lay flat on the ground and then fled the area."

Sherzai said a number of people had been wounded in the atack, but he did not know how many. "I ran away to save my own life."

At least two people were taken away by ambulance, he later said. U.S. troops cordoned off the area.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide atack.

An ISAF spokesman in Kabul said the force was aware of the atack but that there were no casualties reported.

Afghans staged angry protests in Jalalabad in March after U.S. Marines killed at least 10 civilians there following a suicide bomb atack.