Afghan troops killed by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation air strike, says official

A United States airstrike in Afghanistan has targeted an army checkpoint manned by Afghan soldiers in the country’s central Logar Province, killing at least ten service members.

The early morning strike took place in Logar province’s district of Baraki Barak, about 50 kilometers east of Kabul, according to Afghan provincial army commander Abdul Razaq.

A U.S. military official in Kabul confirmed the strike and said the global coalition was investigating the incident.

A similar North Atlantic Treaty Organisation air strike in the area in December killed five civilians and wounded six others.

Following the attack, an Afghan army convoy dispatched to the site was ambushed several times on its way by Taliban militants, but they managed to retrieve the dead bodies without any further casualties, Amin said.

The US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces concluded their combat mission at the end of past year and Afghan troops have since taken control of the country’s security, which has caused their casualties to spike.

Two USA helicopters are believed to have carried out the attack against a military checkpoint.

Last week Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar backed peace talks with the government.

It is rare for US or coalition bombings to kill Afghan troops, but it has happened before.

Afghan soldiers are also sometimes blamed for such incidents. The result of the investigation for that incident revealed a lapse on the part of the American forces, specifically in the area of communication and in understanding the capabilities of the aircraft used, AFP reported.