Afghan officials say a NATO airstrike has mistakenly killed at least five Afghan soldiers. Officials said Wednesday the troops were on patrol in the eastern province of Ghazni, when a NATO aircraft began shooting at them.
Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi said two Afghan soldiers were also wounded in the "friendly fire" attack. The spokesman condemned the incident, saying this is not the first time NATO troops have mistakenly killed Afghan soldiers.
NATO spokesman General Josef Blotz expressed regret for the deaths and promised a joint investigation of the incident. He said the botched strike was likely caused by a coordination issue.
Meanwhile, Britain's defense secretary says British troops will withdraw from one of the most violent areas in southern Afghanistan, handing over control to U.S. forces. Liam Fox announced the restructuring of NATO forces on Wednesday, saying U.S. Marines would replace British troops in the Sangin district of Helmand province.
Fox said the 1,000 British troops have made good progress in Sangin and would be redeployed to reinforce operations in central Helmand.
The Sangin valley in northern Helmand has been one of the deadliest for British forces, accounting for about a third of the 312 soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2001.
