NATO airstrike kills 8 Afghan troops east of Kabul, Afghan officials say

At least eight Afghan soldiers have been killed in a USA air strike on an army checkpoint in Logar province south of Kabul, Afghan officials say.

Other Afghan officials also reported the strike, though they gave different numbers of casualties.

“Helicopters of the United States forces bombed an army security checkpoint in district early Monday, leaving eight soldiers killed and five wounded”, a source told Xinhua news agency.

A North Atlantic Treaty Organisation air strike in December killed five civilians and wounded six others in the same district of Baraki Barak.

A USA military official in Afghanistan, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said they are aware of an incident in Logar and are investigating it.

Civilian and military deaths in coalition air strikes have been a contentious issue in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001.

Their fighting role is limited to special forces operations now that Nato’s combat mission has ended.

Monday’s incident comes as Taliban insurgents step up attacks on government and foreign targets during their summer offensive despite official efforts to jumpstart peace talks.

The crucial post has not been filled since Ghani came to power last September.

He said the main motive behind the airstrike was not clear so far and an investigation has been launched in this regard.