US army apologizes for Afghanistan abuse pictures

© AFP Peter Parks

AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Army on Monday formally apologized "for the distress" caused by pictures portraying abuse allegedly committed by American troops serving in Afghanistan.

"We apologize for the distress these photos cause," said a statement released by the Army.

German weekly Der Spiegel earlier Monday published photos that it said showed two US soldiers in Afghanistan from a rogue army unit posing with dead Afghans.

Two photos, which Spiegel said US authorities had sought to keep secret, appear to show two members of a unit that allegedly killed Afghan civilians for sport.