Canberra - Xinhua
Australian soldiers shot and killed a civilian in southern Afghanistan, Australian Defence Force (ADF) confirmed on Monday. In a statement, ADF said Australians soldiers on Saturday opened fired after the Afghan man failed to follow directions to stop while he was riding a motorbike in Tarin Kot, Uruzgan Province. The incident happened as Australian soldiers were securing a site for a meeting of the provincial reconstruction team. The ADF said it takes all reasonable steps to ensure its operations do not put the lives of civilians in jeopardy. The victim was a local aged in his twenties named Hayatullah, who ran a phone card stall, and there are some reports that the killing has drawn anger from some residents in Tarin Kot.The ADF is promising to cooperate with investigations into the shooting.