Afghanistan militants 'attack Kandahar killings site'

Two of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's brothers and several top security officials were in the delegation in Panjwai in Kandahar province.

One Afghan soldier was killed and three other people injured but the delegation is heading back to Kandahar city.

The US soldier said to have carried out Sunday's attacks is under arrest.

The unnamed 38-year-old staff sergeant is being held at an undisclosed location.

'No rush to exits'

A senior Afghan official confirmed to the BBC that an attack "from several directions" had taken place on the delegation, which was there to meet villagers and tribal elders. Afghan forces returned fire.

The BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul says officials reported a 10-minute gun battle during which Taliban fighters fired from a distance at a mosque where the delegation and civilians were taking part in a prayer service.

One of Mr Karzai's brothers, Qayum, told the Associated Press news agency it appeared initially that the attack was not serious and the delegation "assumed that it was the national army that started to fire in the air".

He said the delegation, which included Kandahar's governor and the minister of border and tribal affairs, was safe and returning to Kandahar city.

The US soldier's attack in Kandahar has severely strained relations between Afghans and foreign forces.

Anti-US sentiment was already high after soldiers burned some copies of the Koran at a Nato base in Kabul last month, sparking deadly riots across the country.

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