An American soldier has allegedly killed sixteen Afghan civilians over the weekend, according to USA Today.
The Taliban vowed revenge Monday for an “inhumane attack” in which an American soldier allegedly shot to death 16 civilians in southern Afghanistan and torched their bodies — an assault that has fueled anger still simmering after U.S. troops burned Qurans last month.
They also report:
The Taliban claimed responsibility for several attacks last month that the group said were in retaliation for the Americans burning Qurans. Afghan forces also turned their guns on their supposed allies at the time, killing six U.S. troops as violent protests wracked the country.
There were no signs of protests Monday and it was unclear what the response would be to Sunday’s deadly spree. It may not be as dramatic as after the Quran burnings since the desecration of the Muslim holy book is viewed as one of the worst sins in Islam. Afghans have also faced numerous instances of civilian casualties from coalition military operations, though rarely the kind of killings seen Sunday.
But the attack will likely spark even greater distrust between Washington and Kabul and fuel questions in both countries about why American troops are still fighting in Afghanistan after 10 years of conflict and the killing of Osama bin Laden.
The Taliban said in a statement on its website that “sick-minded American savages” committed the “blood-soaked and inhumane crime” in Panjwai district, a rural region outside Kandahar that is the cradle of the Taliban and where coalition forces have fought for control for years.
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