KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- At least four Afghans were wounded Sunday when soldiers opened fire on protesters demanding back pay outside the defense ministry in Kabul.
Officials said they had no choice but to open fire after protesters tried to break into the building, the BBC reported.
The protesters, ex-Mujahideen fighters who helped depose the Taliban in 2001, had been fired from the army. They were demanding three months of unpaid wages.
Defense ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi said some of the protestors were armed.
Afghanistan's armed forces are undergoing reforms aimed at making them more ethnically balanced. More than 50,000 people -- including officers -- will be dismissed as a result of the changes.
Some 20,000 have already been dismissed this year.
