It seems President Obama's "pullback" is not going as planned in Afghanistan. NBC News reports [4] 5 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan may have been the victims of a friendly-fire incident. American and Afghan troops were conducting security sweeps on polling sites ahead of this weekend's run-off for the Afghan presidential election when they came under attack from Taliban forces. The Americans called in an airstrike amid fierce fighting and, according to U.S. officials, the B-1 Stealth Bomber strike somehow went terribly awry.
Via NBC News, [4]
Five U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan may have been the victims of a friendly-fire incident, officials said Tuesday.
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said five of its servicemen had died Monday during a security operation in southern Afghanistan when their unit came in contact with enemy forces.
"Tragically, there is the possibility that fratricide may have been involved," ISAF said in a statement. "The incident is under investigation."
It did not provide further details on the incident or soldiers' nationalities, adding only that the coalition's "thoughts are with the families of those killed."
Defense and military officials told NBC News that the soldiers were members of U.S. special forces working with the Afghan military.
The American and Afghan troops were conducting security sweeps on polling sites ahead of this weekend's run-off for the Afghan presidential election when they came under attack from Taliban forces, the officials explained.
The Americans called in an airstrike amid fierce fighting and, according to U.S. officials, the B-1 Stealth Bomber strike somehow went terribly awry.
The police chief of Zabul province, Gen. Gulam Sakhi Rogh Lewanai, also told NBC News that the joint ISAF-Afghan army patrol came under attack Monday evening. He said one Afghan national army soldier died in the botched airstrike.
Mission Accomplished...?