Tri-Service

Eight Afghan Soldiers "Killed By US Friendly Fire"

Officials say seven Afghan soldiers have been killed in a NATO airstrike on two military checkpoints, in an "accident due to bad co-ordination".

US helicopters attacked the checkpoint in Logar province, which lies east of the capital Kabul, in broad daylight on Monday, according to officials.

Five troops are said to have been injured in the strike, with an army commander in the area saying the checkpoint was clearly flying an Afghan flag.

Logar is an unsettled area where much of the countryside is in the hands of the Taliban.

The incident happened as coalition helicopters were flying over an area where clashes were underway between Afghan troops and Taliban fighters, the Afghan defence ministry said.

The Afghan troops were engaged in fighting against the Taliban (pictured) before being hit be the airstrike, officials said

Insurgents fired towards the helicopters, prompting a response that destroyed one army checkpoint, the ministry statement added. An unspecified number of the army members were "killed and wounded", the ministry said.

District governor Mohammad Rahim Amin said the Nato air strike was "likely a mistake, due to bad co-ordination" in an area where Taliban insurgents are highly active.

A US military spokesman in Afghanistan, Col Brian Tribus, said the coalition is aware of an incident in Logar and is investigating.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani expressed his "profound sorrow" over the tragedy and ordered an investigation.

According to a statement from Mr Ghani's office, the Afghan president appointed a team to "comprehensively probe the incident and come up with clarification surrounding the air strike".

Mr Ghani also urged the international forces to "take maximum precautions" not to harm Afghan civilians and troops in their future operations.