Blast near US convoy kills one, wounds 49 Afghans

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ASADABAD, Afghanistan, June 9 (Reuters): A blast near a US troop convoy in Afghanistan killed at least one child and wounded 49 civilians Tuesday, officials said, and witnesses blamed a US soldier for throwing a grenade into a crowd.
Abdul Jalal Jalal, chief of police in Kunar province, said officials were investigating whether the blast in the provincial capital Asadabad was caused by a grenade thrown by US troops or by an insurgent attack.
A US military spokesman in Kabul said he was checking the reports.
Several of the wounded and other witnesses told newsmen a US soldier had thrown a grenade after the military convoy was stopped because a vehicle's tire had burst.
Civilian casualties caused by US forces have become a major source of friction between the Afghan authorities and their US allies, and have hurt public support even as the number of US troops in the country more than doubles this year.