Afghan Protests On Civilian Deaths Turn Violent

Villagers burn a U.S. flag during a protest against NATO raids in Surkhrod district, Nangarhar Province.

Hundreds of Afghan villages burned tires and blocked roads in eastern Afghanistan today against a NATO raid that they said killed 11 civilians.

NATO has confirmed foreign and Afghan forces conducted some operations in the area overnight, but said eight insurgents were killed in the attack.

A Reuters reporter in the Surkhrod district in Nangarhar Province, where villagers said the raids took place, said Afghan police fired at the crowd after some of them started throwing stones at local government buildings.

The head of the local provincial council, Haji Jamal, told Reuters one of the protesters had been shot dead.

compiled from agency reports