WASHINGTON, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Robert Bales, the U.S. soldier suspected of killing 17 Afghan civilians, is to be charged with 17 counts of murder, U.S. media reported Thursday.

ABC news reported on its website that Bales will also be charged with six counts of attempted murder and six counts of aggravated assault and other violations of military law. The charges haven't been announced yet.

The shooting spree, which killed nine children and eight adults, has sparked fury in Afghanistan. Despite Afghans' strong demand that the suspect be tried publicly in the country, the U.S. side transferred Bales back to the United States out of "legal considerations."

The incident further strained the relationship between Washington and Kabul, which has already been clouded by other recent incidents including the burning of Korans at a U.S. base in Afghanistan and reports of U.S. service members urinating on the corpses of Taliban soldiers.