A US airstrike has mistakenly killed 16 Afghan policemen in Helmand province.
The bombing happened during a US-backed Afghan operation to clear a village of Taliban insurgents in the Gereshk district on Friday, a police spokesman said.
It is believed the police were not in uniform - and this may have led to them being mistakenly identified as Taliban fighters, Helmand governor Hayatullah Hayat said.
Two commanders were understood to be among the dead - AND two other officers were also wounded in the airstrike, which was reportedly carried out by a drone.
NATO's mission in Afghanistan said: "During a US-supported (Afghan security) operation, aerial fires resulted in the deaths of the friendly Afghan forces who were gathered in a compound.
"We would like to express our deepest condolences to the families affected by this unfortunate incident."
The Pentagon has offered its condolences to the families of those killed and confirmed an investigation will take place.
Fighting in opium-rich Helmand has intensified recently, and US aircraft have conducted 52 airstrikes in the province over the past five days.
The Taliban controls much of the countryside in the province - threatening its biggest city Lashkar Gah - but the Afghan army has begun operations to push the insurgents back.
President Donald Trump's administration has been considering sending more troops to Afghanistan as part of a new strategy for the region.
The US is the only foreign force in the coalition conducting airstrikes in Afghanistan.
FOLLOW US ON:
Connect with Joshua Osagie (Blog owner)
WHEN ON WEB VIEW, SEE OUR TOP LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE BAR FOR LIVE STREAM NEWS CHANNELS (GLOBAL AND NIGERIAN )
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
FOLLOW US ON:
> The Forefront on Twitter
>BBM Channel: C002CB006 {WELCOME TO THE FOREFRONT
>{Instagram: the_forefront_nigeria }
Connect with Joshua Osagie (Blog owner)
Share this post with others on social media with options below.
VIA SHARES, COMMENTS AND LIKES, JOIN OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FEED PLUGIN DOWN THE SITE (SWITCH TO WEB VIEW FOR PAGE UPDATES IF YOU ARE ON MOBILE VERSION OF THE SITE).
No comments:
Post a Comment
Disclaimer!!! Opinions expressed in comments do not represent THE FOREFRONT MEDIA NG's views. All participants are entitled to their opinions. Thank you!!!
Advertise on the Forefront: For advert placement in the blog or advert posts like news updates, reach +2348124620827 [WhatsApp].
Copyright 2023 The Forefront Media Ng. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from The Forefront Media Ng