If found guilty of killing the 16 Afghan villagers, the soldier could face the death penalty.

An American soldier left his southern Afghanistan base and went house to house in two villages, killing 16 people and wounding others, CNN reported on Sunday.

The deadly incident, which occurred in Kandahar's Panjwayi district, could trigger further tensions between foreign troops and Afghan civilians, many of whom were angered by the burning of Qurans by American forces last month.

Gen. John Allen offered a public apology and said it will be investigated.