NATO warplanes accidentally killed a Canadian soldier and wounded several others in a "friendly fire" incident in southern Afghanistan yesterday, NATO said.
The incident occurred during a NATO-led anti-Taliban operation in Kandahar province's Panjwayi district after ground troops requested air support, NATO said.
"Two ISAF [NATO's International Security Assistance Force] aircraft provided the support but regrettably engaged friendly forces during a strafing run, using cannons," it said in a statement.
It said there were "multiple casualties."
NATO spokesman Major Quentin Innis said the soldier killed in the incident and those wounded were all Canadian NATO troops. He gave no further details.
Another alliance spokesman, Major Scott Lundy, said five seriously wounded soldiers were evacuated out of Afghanistan for medical treatment. He did not say where.
A total of 32 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002.
"I wish to send my deepest sympathies to all of the soldiers and their loved ones who've been affected by this very sad accident," said NATO commander Lieutenant General David Richards. "It is particularly distressing to us all when, despite the care and precautions that are always applied, a tragedy like this happens."
An investigation into the incident has been launched.
The raid occurred during a NATO-led campaign called "Operation Medusa," which NATO said has killed more than 200 Taliban fighters and five Canadian soldiers since the mission started on Saturday.
Panjwayi has long been a hotbed of Taliban resistance against US-led forces and against NATO forces since they took military control of southern Afghanistan last month.
suicide bombing
Meanwhile, a car bomb targeting a British military convoy killed four Afghan civilians and one British soldier in Kabul yesterday, NATO and Afghan officials said. Ten people were wounded.
The explosion happened on the Kabul-Jalalabad road at 10:15am, NATO officials said.
Afghan officials said it was a suicide bombing and the attacker also died.
But NATO spokesman Major Toby Jackman said it was unclear if the attack was a suicide bombing or caused by a bomb that was being transported in a car exploding prematurely.
The British Ministry of defense said a four-wheel drive vehicle was driven at the British convoy. It said one soldier had died and another was seriously wounded and evacuated to a military medical facility for treatment.
Major Luke Knittig, another NATO spokesman, said the soldier who died was initially reported wounded, but later succumbed to his injuries.
He said in all, three NATO troops were wounded. Two sustained light injuries.
REVENGE: Trump said he had the support of the Syrian government for the strikes, which took place in response to an Islamic State attack on US soldiers last week The US launched large-scale airstrikes on more than 70 targets across Syria, the Pentagon said on Friday, fulfilling US President Donald Trump’s vow to strike back after the killing of two US soldiers. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on social media. “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue.” The US Central Command said that fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery targeted ISIS infrastructure and weapon sites. “All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned
‘POLITICAL LOYALTY’: The move breaks with decades of precedent among US administrations, which have tended to leave career ambassadors in their posts US President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered dozens of US ambassadors to step down, people familiar with the matter said, a precedent-breaking recall that would leave embassies abroad without US Senate-confirmed leadership. The envoys, career diplomats who were almost all named to their jobs under former US president Joe Biden, were told over the phone in the past few days they needed to depart in the next few weeks, the people said. They would not be fired, but finding new roles would be a challenge given that many are far along in their careers and opportunities for senior diplomats can
Seven wild Asiatic elephants were killed and a calf was injured when a high-speed passenger train collided with a herd crossing the tracks in India’s northeastern state of Assam early yesterday, local authorities said. The train driver spotted the herd of about 100 elephants and used the emergency brakes, but the train still hit some of the animals, Indian Railways spokesman Kapinjal Kishore Sharma told reporters. Five train coaches and the engine derailed following the impact, but there were no human casualties, Sharma said. Veterinarians carried out autopsies on the dead elephants, which were to be buried later in the day. The accident site
RUSHED: The US pushed for the October deal to be ready for a ceremony with Trump, but sometimes it takes time to create an agreement that can hold, a Thai official said Defense officials from Thailand and Cambodia are to meet tomorrow to discuss the possibility of resuming a ceasefire between the two countries, Thailand’s top diplomat said yesterday, as border fighting entered a third week. A ceasefire agreement in October was rushed to ensure it could be witnessed by US President Donald Trump and lacked sufficient details to ensure the deal to end the armed conflict would hold, Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow said after an ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The two countries agreed to hold talks using their General Border Committee, an established bilateral mechanism, with Thailand
RSS