US President Barack Obama called Afghan President Hamid Karzai late Sunday to offer condolences for the alleged shooting spree by a US soldier in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, where 16 civilians were killed, dpa reported.
Obama telephoned to "express his shock and sadness" at the reported casualties and "made clear his administration's commitment to establish the facts as quickly as possible and to hold fully accountable anyone responsible," the White House said in a statement.
In the conversation with Karzai, Obama "reaffirmed our deep respect for the Afghan people and the bonds between our two countries," the US statement said.