Pakistanis Protest 2006 U.S. Airstrike

KHAR, Pakistan -- Thousands of protesters on Saturday chanted "Death to America" and burned effigies of President Bush on the first anniversary of a U.S. airstrike that witnesses said killed 13 villagers.

U.S.-forces stationed in Afghanistan fired missiles on two homes in the village of Damadola in the Bajur tribal region a year ago. Bajur is located near Afghanistan's Kunar province, where remnants of al-Qaida and Taliban insurgents often target Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces.

Sahibzada Haroon Rashid, a former lawmaker from the influential Jamaat-e-Islami party, told Saturday's rally of around 10,000 people near Damadola that they would continue their holy war against America and its "puppet ruler" President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

"America killed our 13 innocent people, we will not forgive them for it," he said.

Sardar Khan, another leader from Jamaat-e-Islami _ the country's best-organized religious party _ urged the people to support all those who are fighting American forces in neighboring Afghanistan.

Some survivors of the attack also attended the rally.

The attack sparked protests across the country, prompting Pakistan _ a key ally of the United States in its war on terror _ to lodge a protest with Washington.

Although Pakistani agents at the time said the attack also killed some associates of al-Qaida No. 2 leader Ayman al-Zawahri, residents denied the claim, and insisted that all those who died in the assault were civilians, including women and children.