US army truck kills one Afghan in road accident

KABUL, June 13 (Reuters) - A US military truck rammed into a motorcycle in the Afghan capital today, killing at least one person, police said, about two weeks after a similar accident sparked violent anti-American riots in the city.

The US military confirmed the crash and said one child was possibly killed.

The collision happened during the rush hour, about 7 km north of Kabul, in the same area as the previous accident.

''We know that a US military truck hit a motorcycle and has killed at least one person,'' said a police official, who asked not to be named.

The US military expressed regrets at the incident and said the truck driver had tried to avoid the crash but had hit the motorcyclist who had suddenly slowed down in front of the truck.

''Reports indicate there were injuries at the scene, to include the possible death of a child,'' it said in a statement.

Police cordoned off the area to prevent protests, and security kept journalists away.

Last month, a truck in a US military convoy suffered brake failure and hit a dozen other vehicles, killing five civilians.

That accident sparked riots in which at least another seven people died as protesters attacked aid agencies and buildings before reaching the gates of US embassy and the parliament.

They were the bloodiest attacks against the United States and Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul since US-led forces overthrew the Taliban government in 2001. They coincided with rising violence by militants in southern and eastern areas of Afghanistan.

REUTERS KD PM1203