From the Aussie Age

Afghan police chief killed in KandaharJune 29, 2009 - 7:29PM
The police chief of Afghanistan's province of Kandahar is among 10 policemen killed in a shoot-out with local security guards employed by US forces, the head of the provincial council says.

It was not clear what sparked the shoot-out outside one of the offices of the attorney-general in the city of Kandahar, Ahmad Wali Karzai said on Monday.

"In a shoot-out between Afghan private security guards and police, 10 policemen including Kandahar police chief Mutaiullah Khan Qateh and the criminal investigation police chief, have been killed," said Karzai.

He had earlier said that seven policemen including the two commanders were dead. The guards had been trained by US soldiers, said Karzai, a brother of President Hamid Karzai.

"This is preliminary information and we do not know as of now what exactly caused the shoot-out," he said.

Witnesses confirmed the exchange of fire and said US soldiers were also at the scene but it was not clear if they were involved.

The US military spokesman in Kabul, Colonel Greg Julian, confirmed to AFP there had been an incident but he did not immediately have details.

"I am not sure which unit was involved," he said.

"It does appear that there were some Afghan police casualties."

© 2009 AFP