U.S. Army officer kills 16 in Afghanistan

BALANDI, Afghanistan -- Moving from house to house, a U.S. Army sergeant opened fire Sunday on Afghan villagers as they slept, killing 16 people -- mostly women and children -- in an attack that reignited fury at the U.S. presence following a wave of deadly protests over Americans burning Qurans.

The attack threatened the deepest breach yet in U.S.-Afghan relations, raising questions both in Washington and Kabul about why American troops are still fighting in Afghanistan after 10 years of conflict and the killing of Osama bin Laden.

The killing spree, the worst atrocity committed by U.S. forces during the Afghan war, comes amid deepening public outrage spurred by last month's Quran burnings and an earlier video purportedly showing American Marines urinating on dead Taliban militants.

The Quran burnings sparked weeks of violent protests and attacks that left some 30 Afghans dead, despite an apology from President Barack Obama. Six U.S. service members were also killed by fellow Afghan soldiers.

Residents said Sunday's attack began around 3 a.m. in two villages in a rural region outside Kandahar that is the cradle of the Taliban and where coalition forces have fought for control for years.

Villagers described cowering in fear as gunshots rang out as a soldier stalked house after house firing on those inside. They said he entered three homes in all and set fire to some of the bodies. Eleven of the dead were from a single family, and nine of the victims were children.

Some residents said they believed there were multiple attackers, given the carnage. But U.S. officials said the shooter, identified as an Army staff sergeant, acted alone, leaving his base in southern Afghanistan and opening fire on sleeping families in two villages. Initial reports indicated he returned to the base after the shooting and turned himself in. He was in custody at a NATO base in Afghanistan.

The suspect, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., was assigned to support a special operations unit of either Green Berets or Navy SEALs engaged in a village stability operation, said a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still ongoing.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai left open the possibility of more than one shooter. He initially spoke of a single U.S. gunman, then referred to "American forces" entering houses.

"This is an assassination, an intentional killing of innocent civilians and cannot be forgiven," Karzai said.

Obama phoned the Afghan leader to express his shock and offered condolences, calling the attack "tragic and shocking" and not representative of "the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan."

He vowed "to get the facts as quickly as possible and to hold accountable anyone responsible."