Canadian troops in southern Afghanistan killed an unarmed man Saturday as he walked toward their convoy chanting and wearing what appeared to be explosives around his torso, a military spokesman said.

Lt.-Cmdr. Kris Phillips, a spokesman for the Canadian military, said the man had 'unusual mix of wire, straps, tubes and other materials fastened to his torso.'
(CBC)

It was the second deadly shooting of civilians that day by NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Lt.-Cmdr. Kris Phillips, a spokesman for the Canadian military, said the man began walking down the middle of a highway toward the convoy near Kandahar.

After the man ignored orders to stop and warning shots, Canadian troops opened fire and the man was killed at the scene, Phillips said.

He said the man had wires, tubes and straps protruding from his clothing and appeared to be chanting.

"Upon closer investigation, no explosives were found but the man did have an unusual mix of wire, straps, tubes and other materials fastened to his torso," Phillips said.

"We don't really know much about him. His behaviour is perplexing to say the least. We're not sure why he was in the middle of the road. We're not sure why he was approaching one of our convoys. We're not sure why he was behaving the way he was.

"So there are some questions that need to be answered."

Canadian military officials and Afghan police are investigating the incident.

Man shot as he ran through convoy

In the predawn hours on Saturday, NATO troops near Kandahar Airfield shot and killed a man they believed to be a suicide bomber.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, a coalition of troops from 37 countries, said the man ran between the vehicles of a stopped convoy.

A gunner flashed lights on him and fired warning shots before opening fire.

No explosives were found on the man. He died in a NATO hospital at Kandahar Airfield.

NATO has not yet released the nationality of troops involved in the early morning incident.

For the Canadians, the shooting is the second such incident in a week.

Earlier in the week, a Canadian soldier shot and injured an Afghan National Army soldier after an Afghan convoy approached Canadian troops.

Canada has more than 2,000 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan in the southern province of Kandahar. Forty-four Canadian soldiers have been killed since Canada first sent troops to the country in early 2002.

With files from the Canadian Press