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LequteMan
Guest
Afghan police and the Pentagon said on Tuesday in Kabul that five U.S. servicemen were killed in southern Afghanistan in a friendly-fire air strike during a security operation.
Ghulam Roghlewanai, Afgan Police Chief, said the men died on Monday in Zabul province's Arghandab district when their unit, part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), clashed with insurgents.
``The five killed were American soldiers who just returned from an operation when they were hit,'' he said.
He said the ISAF troops were returning to their bases after an operation when they were ambushed by the insurgents.
``The air strike mistakenly hit their own forces and killed the soldiers," he said.
The Pentagon in a statement on Tuesday in Washington said investigators were looking into the likelihood that friendly fire was the cause of the deaths.
`` Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these fallen,'' it said.
Qari Yousuf-Ahmadi, Spokesman for the Islamist Taliban, said insurgents had been attacking the foreign forces when the helicopters intervened and accidentally killed their own troops.
Ghulam Roghlewanai, Afgan Police Chief, said the men died on Monday in Zabul province's Arghandab district when their unit, part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), clashed with insurgents.
``The five killed were American soldiers who just returned from an operation when they were hit,'' he said.
He said the ISAF troops were returning to their bases after an operation when they were ambushed by the insurgents.
``The air strike mistakenly hit their own forces and killed the soldiers," he said.
The Pentagon in a statement on Tuesday in Washington said investigators were looking into the likelihood that friendly fire was the cause of the deaths.
`` Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these fallen,'' it said.
Qari Yousuf-Ahmadi, Spokesman for the Islamist Taliban, said insurgents had been attacking the foreign forces when the helicopters intervened and accidentally killed their own troops.
