Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

U.S. Investigates Cause of Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan

Aired July 02, 2002 - 14:28   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: On a more serious note, we're going to take it to Afghanistan now. Our Nic Robertson is standing by.

We've been talking about Afghanistan and blasting the United States for a deadly military attack on Afghan civilians. Afghan officials say at least 40 people were killed in the attack yesterday in Southern Afghanistan.

Nic Robertson now joins us from Bagram with more.

Nic, what can you tell us?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there have been developments in Afghanistan this evening. In Kandahar tonight, about two hours ago, a U.S. military convoy -- a three-vehicle convoy -- that had been to the hospital in Kandahar to visit some of the people in that hospital to find out more about their status, more about the reports of deaths as a result of the incident in Oruzgan Province.

This three-vehicle convoy was traveling back from the hospital in central Kandahar. It had just gotten beyond the city limits of Kandahar on the way back to the U.S. base at Kandahar Airport when military briefers here tell us that that convoy was attacked by gunmen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. ROGER KING, U.S. ARMY: A small convoy of U.S. civil affairs and medical personnel were fired on as they returned from -- returned to Kandahar Air Base from a medical assessment visit to Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar this evening.

One soldier was wounded in the foot. Approximately 20 rounds of small arms fire were directed at the three-vehicle convoy as they were leaving Kandahar city. The soldiers being treated at the U.S. medical facility at the air base.

ROBERTSON: Now, the soldiers when they were at the hospital said they had interviewed 19 patients who had been injured in the bombing or the shooting in Oruzgan province. The information is still not concrete. That doesn't tally exactly with the information coming from the Afghan government here.

The foreign ministry estimates perhaps some 100 people were injured. And the investigation team still not visited the village of Deh Rawod yet to ascertain exactly what happened -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Nic Robertson live in Bagram. Thanks, Nic.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com