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Back to National News listFriendly fire strike probed
Solemn remembrance scenes in Afghanistan took on an extra poignancy yesterday as NATO launched an investigation into one of the worst ‘friendly fire’ incidents of the eight-year war.
These British soldiers were taking part in a Remembrance Sunday ceremony at a military base in Kandahar - a ceremony that came just two days after seven soldiers and police officers were killed in what officials have now called a mis-targeted NATO air strike.
The deaths occurred while NATO and Afghan forces clashed with Taliban insurgents while searching for two missing American paratroopers in a barren, rugged area.
Afghan defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi said: “We and NATO are investigating the incident.”
Azimi said that four Afghan soldiers and three Afghan police officers were killed in the air strike, which was called in to help troops fighting rebels in
the remote Badghis province of western Afghanistan.
“We know that they were killed in the air strike. We’re currently investigating the incident to find out why they were hit so that such incidents can be prevented in the future,” he added.
If proven, Friday’s incident will have been one of the deadliest of its kind.
NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said its personnel and Afghan forces had been “engaged by enemy forces”, meaning the Taliban, while searching for two soldiers who went missing on Wednesday while trying to recover airdropped supplies from a river.
The ISAF said 25 troops were “killed or wounded during a joint operation that involved multiple engagements over several hours”. Five of the wounded troops were US soldiers.
The investigation comes as a poll released yesterday said support among the British public for the war in Afghanistan was falling, while more than 40 per cent of those polled did not understand why troops are fighting there.
The data comes just days after five British soldiers died when a “rogue” Afghan policeman attacked a checkpoint in Helmand.
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COMMENTS
Troops are there whether you like it or not, they have a job to do and young lives are lost as a result, they fight battles with a cowardly hidden enemy that no normal person would want as neighbours as they have shown in the past barbaric acts of cruelty to men, women and children, the enemy being the Taliban. With known and clear links with Al Q the West do not want as with Pakistan to leave this area as a vacuum for these groups to plan & train insurgents to perpetrate acts of terror against us, hence the troops. Talking of battle fear only serves to highlight your ignorance! Tell me who does not fear the battle and risk of death
Posted by: MonkeyAllen [10.Nov.09 12 : 13 PM]No! sorry not everyone agrees with Afghanistan, infact the British public are deeply divided with support fast slipping if it was ever there in the first place. The troops are there and young men are dying, to say they have battle fear in such an arrogant way is only to be expected of you, I wonder how you would be in this kind of situation. The Taliban are everything BUT brave which any normal person would realise. But hey! this is just another opportunity for us all to sample your own particular brand of anti British or one way clap trap. Obviously we have a Taliban supporter here! Question for you Mr X do you think the normal people of Afghanistan want this mob back! Do you think SWAT wants them back! NO!
Posted by: MonkeyAllen [09.Nov.09 9 : 18 PM]As a stepping stone, he could do well for the shallow thinkers.
Posted by: Ancient x [09.Nov.09 2 : 08 PM]George Galloway? Wise westerner? You have to be joking. Celebrity Big Brother was his finest moment.
Posted by: veritas [09.Nov.09 1 : 52 PM]Oh, I’d like to add four % to the 40% making them 44% because of the ignorant ones on here that also have no clue why they are really there thinking that their troops are in Afghanistan for the sake of spreading democracy. Oh sure!! As if they give a hoot about how the Afghanis live in Afghanistan, I suggest as well people check out the honorable man George Galloway for enlightenment from a wise Westerner point of view, he definitely must have something with regards to Afghanistan.
Posted by: Ancient x [09.Nov.09 12 : 52 PM]Oh well the so called friendly fire death incidents are usually bull but if that was their case then it is definitely because of the battle fear which causes confusion leading to the killing of each other. I suggest they go back home and train before they occupy another country. They are simply making a fool out of themselves with the endless every now and then alleged friendly fire. Yea RIGHT! Good on the brits to finally be waking up, it is time to call your troops back home or they will all be buried in Afghanistan. Save them. To the 40 % that seem not to understand why their troops are there: Theft & control of the Afgani wealth is why they are there.
Posted by: Ancient x [09.Nov.09 8 : 58 AM]KEEP YOURSELF UPDATED
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