Afghans demand troops out

The protesters were carrying the bodies of four children aged eight to 12.

Zabul province deputy governor Mohammad Jan Rasoulyar said the children died during a gunfight between Taliban fighters and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) personnel in Shahjoy on Monday evening.

Mr Rasoulyar said the gunfight erupted when guerillas attacked the ISAF soldiers as they met local community leaders.

"ISAF and Afghan troops returned fire. There was an exchange of fire during which four children were killed and some others kids were injured.

"Today the people are protesting the killing of the children."

On Monday thousands of Afghans rallied in Kabul against the ongoing influence of the warlords who toppled the progressive Democratic Republic government on April 30 1992.

The victory of the US-backed mojahedin also marked the start of the 1992-1996 civil war that saw the Taliban come to power.

Protesters, including members of the left-wing Solidarity Party, accused the Karzai administration and its Western backers of appointing "war criminals" to senior government posts.

They burned pictures of prominent mojahedin and demanded punishment for those involved in human rights violations over the past three decades of war in Afghanistan.

The demonstration was mounted after a contentious national holiday that honoured the former warlords on April 28, which is known as Mojahedin Victory Day.