Kabul, Rabi'II 19, 1433, Mar 12, 2012, SPA - Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has denounced the killing of 16 civilians by a U.S. soldier in southern Afghanistan. In a statement issued by the presidential palace here yesterday, President Karzai affirmed that the Afghan government has always been condemning the so-called counter-terrorism operations that lead to civilian casualties; but if U.S. soldiers are deliberately killing people, it is an unforgivable crime. The Afghan President called on the United States to provide an explanation of the incident to the Afghan people. --SPA 11:46 LOCAL TIME 08:46 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/978662