Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
'Miscommunication' behind Afghan friendly fire deaths
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
'Miscommunication' behind Afghan friendly fire deaths
AFP - Saturday, July 10
Send
IM Story
Print
'Miscommunication' behind Afghan friendly fire deaths
KABUL (AFP) - – A NATO helicopter patrol mistook Afghan soldiers for militants planting roadside bombs and opened fire on them, killing six and wounding one, the alliance said Friday.
The "friendly fire" incident is the latest in a string of botched attacks and comes as the new commander of international forces in Afghanistan is said to be considering changing the way the war is fought.
The Afghan soldiers died on Tuesday as a "result of miscommunication" between NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the Afghan National Army (ANA), a statement said.
The incident took place in Ghazni province, south of Kabul, described by an ISAF official as a "very active IED area", referring to improvised explosive devices which are widely used by Taliban-linked insurgents.
Since April there had been 129 attacks or discoveries of IEDs in the area where the friendly fire incident took place, he said.
The Afghan soldiers had been mistaken for a group of insurgents planting IEDs, he said, speaking anonymously as the investigation proceeded.
Taliban IEDs -- many of which enter Afghanistan from Pakistan, military officials say -- are taking a huge toll on international forces, of whom more than 340 have died this year.
"ANA soldiers planned a patrol and had coordinated the patrol location with ISAF elements," the statement said, adding: "While passing the information to the local ISAF unit, the wrong location of the ANA patrol was identified."
It said the ISAF helicopter patrol saw a group "digging beside the road in an area that has experienced daily IED detonations and significant casualties".
After checking if "friendly forces" were in the area, the helicopters were cleared to open fire on "individuals believed to be insurgents", it said, adding "this approval to engage was based on inaccurate information about the location of the ANA patrol".
While reports of friendly fire incidents are not common in Afghanistan, they add to a perception that the foreign forces fighting the insurgency do not take enough care to avoid killing Afghans, military or civilian.
The Afghan defence ministry condemned the incident.
Command of the 140,000 troops in Afghanistan has just been taken over by US General David Petraeus who is under some pressure to change the rules of engagement, as some soldiers believe they restrict defensive action.
Petraeus has not publicly ruled out making changes, though observers in Kabul said he was is unlikely to alter rules he was instrumental in formulating and which are credited with cutting civilian casualties.
The ANA is key to the counter-insurgency strategy Petraeus now leads, as the United States and NATO countries leaders have said they will withdraw from Afghanistan once domestic security forces can take over security.
While reluctant to set a timetable for withdrawal, Afghanistan's Western backers are eager to boost the country's own security capacity as public pressure to get out is building.
US President Barack Obama has set July 2011 to begin drawing down US troops, though has stressed a withdrawal is conditional on Afghanistan's capability to look after itself.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
K.Rouge prison chief sacks his international lawyer AFP - 25 minutes ago
Myanmar democracy activists allowed to form new party AFP - 27 minutes ago
UN condemns sinking of South Korean warship AFP - 41 minutes ago
U.N. council draft condemns attack on South Korean ship Reuters - 1 hour 26 minutes ago
Suicide attack kills 65 in Pakistan tribal belt AFP - 1 hour 27 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
Boeing submits bid for US military mega project
Greece to auction 1.25bln euros of debt: officials
Actor Ed Norton named UN biodiversity ambassador
Eurostar Paris-London service closes over safety fears
US, Russia swap 10 Kremlin agents for 4 Western spies
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Germany's 'Octopus oracle' keeps perfect record
Boeing submits bid for US military mega project
Eurostar Paris-London service closes over safety fears
US, Russia swap 10 Kremlin agents for 4 Western spies
IMF's global growth forecast amid financial shocks
More Most Viewed »
Reclusive top mathematician turns down prize, again
Germany's 'Octopus oracle' keeps perfect record
Aussie men shoot each other in buttocks 'to see if it hurts'
Amputee cat gets bionic legs
Fans gather for Michael Jackson death anniversary
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Friday, 9 July 2010 Iran leader says sanctions will not slow atom work
Obama urges Israel to seize chance for peace
Campaign launched against Comcast-NBC Universal deal
US to deliver billions in equipment to tackle Afghan bombs
US-TECH Summary
News
IMF presses US to cut debt
Cable companies, networks mull smaller TV bundles
Graft fears as massive cash sums fly out of Kabul: WSJ
Iran leader says sanctions will not slow atom work
|
Pakistan busts gang of website hackers: official
Israel images 'show Hezbollah hiding arms'
Chechnya's leader hails paintball attacks on women
|
News
Mauritania adopts new anti-terrorism law
|
France, Netherlands seek to halt Internet censorship
Obama sees Turkey turning eastward if snubbed by EU
U.S., UK urge Iran halt stoning execution
|
In Iraq, "young American male" yearns for action
Cuban dissident said to have ended hunger strike
|
News
Drug war hits Mexico's richest city
|
US to spend $3B to combat Afghan homemade bombs
Ishikawa thrilled with opening 67
2 NATO troops and Afghan police official killed
Indonesian anti-graft activist attacked
Hong Kong police smash large cross-border gambling ring
News
Catholic priest, nun murdered in China
Europe to give US access to bank data for terror probes
News
Cable companies, networks mull smaller TV bundles
|
A Minute With: Jane Lynch on her Glee-filled year
|
HBO dominates Emmy nods for 10th straight year
|
Katy Perry, Eminem lead U.S. singles chart again
|
Bomb kills NATO soldier in Afghanistan
Eurostar resumes London-Paris train service
U.S. and Russia to swap spies after 10 plead guilty
|
Fujitsu: acquisition targets include software firms
News
Iran will not stone woman to death after outcry
US swaps 10 Russian spies for 4 'agents' held by Moscow
Australia halts web filter plan ahead of polls
Ahmadinejad says sanctions will not alter nuclear drive
Eurostar Paris-London service closes over safety fears
Ten Russian spies leave US after swap deal: report
Mattis named overall US commander of Iraq, Afghan wars
Venezuela nabs 2 for trying to 'Twitter' a run on banks
US, Russia swap 10 Kremlin agents for 4 Western spies
Cuba dissident ends hunger strike
U.S. eavesdropping agency says Private Citizen is purely R&D
Cuba takes first steps toward prisoner release
|
News
Turkey still sees chance of Iran nuclear fuel swap deal
Suicide bomb kills 20 in NW Pakistan
|
Venezuela arrests two for banking rumor Tweets
Japan PM party may miss vote target
|
PayPal, Tesla founder goes public on divorce
China finds fresh trade in toxic milk powder: report
|
Russia to free four Western spies for its agents
Fear belies Pakistan boasts of becalmed borderlands
|
Slovak president appoints liberal Radicova as PM
U.N. council draft condemns attack on South Korean ship
|
Cuba dissident Farinas ends hunger strike: opposition
Russia's Medvedev pardons four jailed spies
U.S. and Russia to swap spies after 10 plead guilty
Presbyterians split on gay-friendly measures
Pakistan bomb attack kills 12, wounds 90
Bangladesh bans religious punishments
Australia backs away from Timor refugee plan
Suicide bomb kills 20 in NorthWest Pakistan
Google confident of getting China web license
|
Singer Coco set to step out of father's shadow
Watchdog slams Thai army, protesters over casualties
U.S. eavesdropping agency says Private Citizen is purely R&D
|
Whose Emmy strategies worked, and whose didn't?
S.Africans favour 'orange' World Cup final
Anti-UN minister presses on with hunger strike
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Venezuela arrests two for banking rumor Tweets
|
U.N. response on South Korea ship raises calls for North talks
Drake NY concert cancelled after security concerns
China seizes melamine-tainted milk powder
Fujitsu: acquisition targets include software firms
|
South Africa's Bushmen try to adapt to modern life
Google confident China will renew licence
Rookie series rock the Emmys
Seoul shares rise as investors welcome rate hike
Japan PM party may miss vote target, policy at risk
"Inception" is no dream for marketers
South Korea unexpectedly raises key interest rate
Taiwan forecasts GDP, jobs rise from China pact
Winners and losers emerge at summer box office midpoint
Pakistan c.bank sells 10 bln rupees of T-bills in repo
News
Bank of Korea lifts rates; more hikes expected
PAKISTAN
News
US avoids labeling China currency manipulator
Seoul shares open up on U.S. gains, techs
World Bank approves $6.2 bln Pakistan lending plan
Police probe claims Gibson abused ex-girlfriend
|
Fresh faces add zest to Emmy nominations
|
Drake NY concert cancelled after security concerns
|
Whose Emmy strategies worked, and whose didn't?
|
Inception is no dream for marketers
|
Winners and losers emerge at summer box office midpoint
|
Scorsese sued by receiver for celebrity money man
|
Italian media on strike over bill to curb wiretapping
Iran 'yet to confirm' woman's stoning stay: lawyer
Google says China has renewed its operating licence
Russia, U.S. swap 14 spies in Cold War-style exchange
|
Gameworld: Motion games broaden uses beyond exercise
'Miscommunication' behind Afghan friendly fire deaths
Greece to auction 1.25bln euros of debt: officials
Amid gunfire, U.S. troops try to bring governance to Kandahar
|
British soldier killed in Afghanistan
Google's Schmidt undaunted by Apple or Facebook
Suicide bomber kills five in Baghdad: ministry
U.N. council draft condemns attack on South Korean ship
|
Google to resume gathering map data in 4 countries
West uses e-networking to subvert China: Study
India and Pakistan in first substantive talks since Mumbai
|
Fujitsu plans to beef up cloud computing business
Aid ship to sail from Greece for blockaded Gaza
|
Italian journalists strike over Berlusconi law
|
Taliban commander captured as US raids intensify
Bettencourt affair heats up with raids, reports
|
Sri Lanka war crimes rift with U.N. widens over protests
|
K.Rouge prison chief sacks his international lawyer
Russia and U.S. swap 14 spies in Cold War-style exchange
N.Zealand anti-whaling activist deported from Japan
DOJ reviews Mass. rulings on fed gay marriage ban
Ex-officer convicted in Calif. train killing
Suicide attack kills 65 in Pakistan tribal belt
Gameworld: Motion games broaden uses beyond exercise
|
Presbyterians split on gay-friendly measures
Google says China has renewed its operating licence
Online news site leads charge in French scandal
|
Emmy snubs! Master grouse list
Thai PM plans first Myanmar visit next month
Google's Schmidt undaunted by Apple or Facebook
|
Helicopters revolutionise mountain rescue in Nepal
Chinese monk held for murder of priest and nun
Al-Qaeda: poor Yemeni town cursed by its name
Google to resume gathering map data in 4 countries
|
North Korea says jailed American attempted suicide
Fujitsu plans to beef up cloud computing business
|
Pakistani rupee eases to new low; stocks post gains
Asia markets edge higher on US, Europe lead
India expects bumper harvest to ease prices: minister
Peugeot Citroen announces China joint venture
WRAPUP 1-S.Korea surprises with rate rise, more to come
China auto sales up nearly 50% in first half: report
Japan's DoCoMo plans new app platform for phones
Emmy snubs! Master grouse list
|
Keeping up with self-made star Kim Kardashian
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights