Afghaanse politie gedood in 'vriendelijk vuur' luchtaanval in de provincie Helmand
Channel: Fatbox
Date: 2019-05-17

Afghanistan police killed in ‘friendly fire’ airstrike in Helmand province.

More than a dozen Afghan police officers were killed in an airstrike carried out by international forces in the south of the country, media and the Afghan interior ministry said on Friday, May 17.

The May 16 airstrike, which targeted Taliban fighters, instead killed 17 police officers and wounded 11 others in Helmand province, Tolo News reported on Friday.

The report said the police officers were members of the 601 highway battalion.

RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan put the number of dead at nine, reporting that the strike took place in Nahr-e Saraj district outside the provincial capital Lashkar Gah.

The Afghan interior ministry has confirmed the deaths and launched an investigation into whether the officers were killed by the airstrike or in clashes with the Taliban, Tolo said.

NATO’s Resolute Support mission carried out the airstrike at the request of the Afghan government, according to the interior ministry.

The U.S. military is the only foreign force that conducts airstrikes in Afghanistan. A spokesperson for Resolute Support Mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.