Afghan city calm after bloody governor protests

The western Afghan city of Herat was calm yesterday following bloody clashes between supporters of the powerful ousted governor and US and Afghan forces sent to keep the peace.

Roadblocks set up by authorities on Sunday after Ismail Khan's supporters torched buildings in a UN compound were removed and the skies were clear of US combat helicopters for the first time since Saturday afternoon.

Medics and witnesses reported seven people killed and up to 50 injured in weekend violence which erupted when President Hamid Karzai - favourite to win Afghanistan's first ever direct presidential election on October 9 - sacked Mr Khan and appointed a replacement as part of his campaign pledge to rein in warlords.

The US military said 15 of its soldiers had been injured in the clashes, with three of them evacuated for treatment, along with three Afghan national army servicemen.

Spokesman Major Scott Nelson said he had no figures for civilian casualties, but praised Afghan and US forces for showing "remarkable restraint" against what he said was a small group of protesters brought in from outside to stir up trouble.

"Our forces have not fired one round," he told a news briefing in the Afghan capital.

The UN said two of its international staff had been slightly injured.

Nick Downie, of the Afghanistan Non-Governmental Organisation Security Office (ANSO), said around 30 NGO staff had been relocated yesterday morning from Herat as a security precaution.

The UN said around 40 of its international staff had been temporarily relocated, but 15 remained.

"The results of the attack were quite shocking," said Filippo Grandi, the Deputy Special Representative to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The UN's Herat headquarters was "in ashes", he said. "The whole office doesn't exist anymore.

In New York, Mr Annan issued a statement deploring the violence, calling it the act of a small group bent on causing instability.

On Sunday night, Ismail Khan called on his supporters to exercise restraint and the army announced on Herat TV that further violence would be met with military force.

Authorities also imposed a night curfew and US spokesman Nelson said it would be in force again yesterday from 9 p.m. (1630 GMT).

But shops were open and traffic flowing normally yesterday on the streets of the strategic ancient city, near the border with Iran and Turkmenistan. Troops from the national army, national police and US-led forces were seen on patrol.

Residents had mixed reactions to the change of governor in Herat, the most prosperous region in Afghanistan.

"We wanted a change because Ismail Khan was very tough in terms of social freedoms," said a street hawker who gave his name as Assadullah. "But he has done some good works here and people appreciate that, there is no doubt."

Pharmacist Gullabuddin felt Khan's removal was part of a US strategy to gradually remove the influence of mujahideen who had fought the Soviet occupation from Karzai's government.

Mr Khan is a veteran mujahideen leader and a critic of US-backed government and Washington's policies in Afghanistan.

The change of governor in Herat follows fighting last month between Mr Khan's forces and those of his arch rival, commander Amanullah Khan. The fighting ended after a ceasefire was brokered by US ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, who is a close confidant of Mr Karzai.