10 Afghans civilian killed, 33 hurt

More than 40 Afghans killed or wounded by marines after a suicide bombing in a village near Jalalabad last month.

More than 40 Afghans killed or wounded by marines after a suicide bombing in a village near Jalalabad last month, says a report prepared by US military.

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There is no evidence that the Marine Special Operations platoon came under small-arms fire after the bombing, although the Marines reported taking enemy fire and seeing people with weapons, Major General Frank H Kearney III, head of Special Operations Command Central, was on Sunday quoted as saying by The Washington Post.

Kearney III, who ordered the probe, on Saturday said the troops continued shooting at perceived threats as they traveled miles from the site of the March 4 attack. They hit several vehicles, killing at least 10 people and wounding 33, among them children and elderly villagers.

"We found no brass that we can confirm that small-arms fire came at them," Kearney said, referring to ammunition casings.

The results of the preliminary investigation, which are not conclusive, are similar to the findings of an official Afghan human rights inquiry and contradict initial reports that the civilians might have been killed in a small-arms attack that followed the suicide bombing, the Post said.

One Marine was injured by shrapnel in the suicide bombing.