New York Times
June 10, 2014
KABUL,
Afghanistan — Five American Special Operations service members and at
least one Afghan soldier were killed when a coalition aircraft
accidentally unleashed an airstrike on their position in southern
Afghanistan, one of the deadliest instances of friendly fire in more
than a decade of war, Afghan and American officials said Tuesday.
The
incident occurred Monday night in Zabul Province as coalition and
Afghan troops were conducting security operations prior to the
presidential runoff election scheduled for Saturday, said Ghulam Sakhi
Roghliwanai, the province’s police chief. As the mission drew to a
close, Taliban militants ambushed the fighters, prompting them to call
for close air support, Mr. Roghliwanai said.
The
aircraft accidentally struck the position of the American soldiers,
killing five of them along with at least one Afghan soldier. The
incident took place in the province’s restive Arghandab district.
Airstrikes
have long been a point of contention between the government of
Afghanistan and the coalition forces, most often due to civilian
casualties in villages or areas with a high concentration of insurgents.
President Hamid Karzai has grown increasingly frustrated over such
deaths, and has refused to sign a security agreement with the United
States until it ceases air attacks of any kind.
