US strike ‘kills afghan police’

JALALABAD – US-led forces in Afghanistan mistakenly killed seven policemen in an air strike after Afghan forces came under attack from the Taliban and asked for help, a provincial official said yesterday.

Violence has surged in Afghanistan in recent months but a threatened Taliban offensive has not materialised. Last year was the bloodiest in Afghanistan since US-led forces removed the Taliban in 2001.The air strike came after the Taliban stormed police posts late on Monday in Khogiani district of the eastern province of Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan, district police chief Adel Balwal told Reuters.Police sent reinforcements and called for help from US forces, he said.”In the coalition bombing, seven policemen lost their lives.”A US military spokesman said he was aware of the raid but had no other details.Thirteen policemen were missing, Balwal added.If the deaths are confirmed, the incident would be one of the most serious cases of mistaken fire on Western or Afghan security forces by the US-led coalition force.A Taliban spokesman said by telephone from an undisclosed location the militants had killed 12 policemen.About 50 000 foreign troops led by the US military and Nato are in Afghanistan, battling a resurgent Taliban and their al Qaeda allies.Separately, Nato forces killed three Afghans in the eastern province of Kunar on Monday after a car in which they were travelling failed to stop at a checkpoint, Nato said.Two Afghans were wounded in the firing.Residents of the area protested against the incident, the latest in a string of civilian casualties caused by foreign troops.More than 120 Afghan civilians have been killed by foreign forces in recent months, according to government officials and residents.The International Committee of the Red Cross said yesterday that since 2006 violence had significantly intensified in the south and east and was spreading to the north and west, bringing a ‘growing number of civilian casualties’.Nampa-ReutersLast year was the bloodiest in Afghanistan since US-led forces removed the Taliban in 2001.The air strike came after the Taliban stormed police posts late on Monday in Khogiani district of the eastern province of Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan, district police chief Adel Balwal told Reuters.Police sent reinforcements and called for help from US forces, he said.”In the coalition bombing, seven policemen lost their lives.”A US military spokesman said he was aware of the raid but had no other details.Thirteen policemen were missing, Balwal added.If the deaths are confirmed, the incident would be one of the most serious cases of mistaken fire on Western or Afghan security forces by the US-led coalition force.A Taliban spokesman said by telephone from an undisclosed location the militants had killed 12 policemen.About 50 000 foreign troops led by the US military and Nato are in Afghanistan, battling a resurgent Taliban and their al Qaeda allies.Separately, Nato forces killed three Afghans in the eastern province of Kunar on Monday after a car in which they were travelling failed to stop at a checkpoint, Nato said.Two Afghans were wounded in the firing.Residents of the area protested against the incident, the latest in a string of civilian casualties caused by foreign troops.More than 120 Afghan civilians have been killed by foreign forces in recent months, according to government officials and residents.The International Committee of the Red Cross said yesterday that since 2006 violence had significantly intensified in the south and east and was spreading to the north and west, bringing a ‘growing number of civilian casualties’.Nampa-Reuters