US military says 16 Afghans killed after attack

KABUL, March 4 (Reuters) The US military in Afghanistan today said 16 Afghan civilians were killed after a ''complex'' Taliban ambush on a US convoy involving a suicide car-bomb attack and militant gunfire.

US troops had returned fire in defence, the US military said in a statement, although it did not make clear how the 16 civilians were killed and 24 wounded.

Afghan police said earlier eight civilians had been killed and more than 30 wounded when US troops opened fire after the suicide car-bomb attack.

REUTERS SHB PM1826