9 Afghans die in ‘mistaken identity’ airstrike

Written by Writer on Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

9 Afghans die in ‘mistaken identity’ airstrike

Amir Shah , The Associated Press , Kabul | Wed, 10/22/2008 1:32 PM | World

A U.S.-led coalition airstrike in eastern Afghanistan hit an Afghan army checkpoint early Wednesday, killing nine soldiers and wounding three, Afghan officials said.

The strike hit a fixed checkpoint in the Sayed Kheil area of Khost province, said Arsallah Jamal, the province’s governor.

The U.S. said its forces “may have mistakenly killed and injured” Afghan soldiers in what may have been a case of mistaken identity “on both sides.”

“As a Coalition forces convoy was returning from a previous operation, they were involved in multiple engagements,” a U.S. statement said. “As a result of the engagements, ANA (Afghan army) soldiers were killed and injured.”

Col. Greg Julian, the chief spokesman for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, said American officials would meet with Afghan defense officials to “sort out the details.”

Jamal said U.S. and Afghan troops have been conducting operations in the region for over a week, and the army checkpoint was in a fixed location. The incident killed nine soldiers and wounded three, said Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the Defense Ministry spokesman.

Apparent friendly fire incidents have happened before. In June 2007, Afghan police mistook U.S. troops on a nighttime mission for Taliban fighters and opened fire on them, prompting U.S. forces to return fire and call in attack aircraft. Seven Afghan police were killed.

In the last month, uniformed Afghan police officers have twice opened fire on U.S. troops, killing two soldiers. The police officers were killed by U.S. soldiers returning fire, but the incidents raised fears that insurgents have infiltrated Afghanistan’s security forces as a cover to launch attacks.