(Updates with peaceful end of protest) KABUL, April 29 (Reuters) - Thousands of Afghans, some shouting "Death to America" and carrying shrouded bodies, protested in the east on Sunday after up to six people were killed during a raid by U.S.-led coalition forces. They felled trees to block a road and vowed not to bury the bloodstained bodies until those responsible were punished and villagers detained after the incident were freed. Nangahar province police spokesman Abdul Ghafur said the six dead were civilians, including three women, but the U.S. military said four of those killed were Taliban fighters and a woman and a teenage girl died in crossfire. Neighbours in the protest said five people died, including two women, with only a young girl surviving from the family. The Sunday morning raid had targeted a car bomb-making cell near the provincial capital, Jalalabad. "We are saddened at the loss of civilian life," Major Chris Belcher said in a statement. "It is extremely unfortunate that militants put others' lives in danger by hiding among their families." The incident occurred in the area where U.S. Marines killed several civilians in March, opening fire after their convoy was attacked by a suicide car bomber. Those deaths also sparked angry protests and the unit's early recall. "They are committing so many operations against us," shouted one man. We do not want them, we do not want this kind of life in the future. America is our enemy! America is our enemy! "Karzai is our enemy! Karzai is our enemy!" President Hamid Karzai is seen by some as too close to his Western allies. The protest ended peacefully and the road reopened, but organisers have promised a bigger rally on Monday if the five villagers being held are not released by noon (0730 GMT). CIVILIAN DEATHS Scores of civilians have died in fighting this year, most due to attacks by the Taliban, including suicide bombings, but a significant number also due to action by foreign forces. More than 4,000 people -- including 1,000 civilians -- died last year in the worst fighting since the Taliban were ousted in 2001. Fighting is picking up again after the annual winter lull. Karzai flew to Turkey on Sunday, where he is due to meet Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Islamabad denies any formal continuing support for the Taliban it helped to power in the 1990s, but the issue has soured relations between the neighbours. Under increasing pressure over the mounting insurgency and what many Afghans see as a failure to rebuild the country and improve their lives, Karzai on Sunday urged donors to let him control more of the billions in foreign aid pledged. "Please bring us more of the resources, let the Afghan government take more responsibility in decision making ... and in the allocation of resources and disbursement and expenditure of the resources," he told a development forum in Kabul. He also complained of rampant corruption, inefficiency and a lack of coordination. (Additional reporting by Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul and Rafiq in Jalalabad)
