US troops 'confiscated bomb attack photos'

Afghan journalists covering the aftermath of a suicide attack and shooting in eastern Afghanistan say US troops deleted their photos and video and warned them not to publish any images.

Afghan witnesses and gunshot victims said US forces fired on civilians in cars and on foot along at least a six-mile stretch of road in Nangarhar province following a suicide attack against the Marine convoy. The US military said militants also fired on American forces during the attack.

The US military and Afghan officials said eight Afghans died and 34 were wounded in the violence. One Marine was also injured.

A freelance photographer working for The Associated Press and a cameraman working for AP Television News said a US soldier deleted their photos and video showing a four-wheel drive vehicle in which three people were shot dead about 100 yards from the suicide bombing. The AP plans to lodge a protest with the American military.

The photographer, Rahmat Gul, said witnesses at the scene told him the three had been shot dead by US forces fleeing from the attack. The two AP freelancers arrived at the site about a half hour after the suicide bombing, Mr Gul said.

"When I went near the four-wheel-drive, I saw the Americans taking pictures of the same car, so I started taking pictures," Mr Gul said.

Gul said the US troops took his camera, deleted his photos and returned it to him. The journalists came across another American, showed their identification cards, and he agreed that they could take pictures.

A Western military official said the troops were Marine Special Operations Forces, the Marine Corps component created in February 2006 of the US Special Operations Command.