7 killed in clashes after Afghan Governor ousted

Protests erupted after President Hamid Karzai replaced powerful regional commander Ismail Khan as Herat governor on Saturday.

"I have so far received seven bodies of protesters," said the doctor at Herat's central hospital, who did not want to be identified. A Reuters cameraman at the hospital saw at least 20 people being treated for gunshot injuries.

"I was protesting in front of the UN office when the Americans shot me in the leg," one of the wounded, Abdul Hamed, told Reuters.

The replacement of the governors in Herat and the restive neighboring province of Ghor came after Karzai launched his manifesto for Oct. 9 presidential elections with a pledge to rein in regional warlords.

The clashes will be a concern for President Bush, who is hoping a peaceful Afghan election will offset violence from Iraq and provide a fillip for his own re-election chances in November.