U.S. troops investigated for abuse of Afghans

KABUL (Reuters) - Two U.S. soldiers based in Afghanistan are being investigated for alleged abuse of Afghan detainees, the U.S. military said Monday.

Captain Roger T. Hill and 1st Sergeant Tommy L. Scott, both of the 1st battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army will be investigated under Article 32, the military equivalent of a civilian grand jury hearing.

In 2005, two U.S. soldiers were charged with abusing Afghan detainees at a base in the Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan and media have alleged abuse of prisoners at Bagram, the U.S. army's main base in Afghanistan.

The investigation will take place at U.S. base Khost province, southeastern Afghanistan, a statement from the U.S. military said.

There are approximately 32,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, either under NATO command or in a separate U.S.-led coalition force.

(Reporting by Golnar Motevalli; Editing by Charles Dick)