U.S.-Led Forces Kill 9 Afghan Officers by Mistake

ASSOCIATED PRESS - July 21, 2008
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/NEW...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- U.S.-led troops and Afghan forces killed nine Afghan police officers Sunday, calling in air strikes and fighting on the ground for four hours after both sides mistook the other for militants, Afghan officials said.

In the western province of Farah near the Iranian border, Provincial Deputy Gov. Younus Rasuli said foreign troops hadn't informed local officials they were coming, and Afghan police thought they were enemy fighters.

The U.S.-led coalition said it was investigating. It said its forces, along with Afghan troops, had retaliated in defense against "a nonuniformed hostile force."

Also, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said it accidentally killed at least four civilians Saturday night in eastern Paktika province when two mortar rounds landed nearly half a mile short of their target.

NATO said it was investigating whether three other civilians also were killed in the Barmal district and said it was providing medical aid to four wounded civilians.