Kabul - NATO forces botched two separate missions and ended up killing at least four civilians and nine policemen with mortar and rocket attacks in Afghanistan, officials acknowledged Sunday. NATO-led soldiers killed at least four civilians and wounded four others in Afghanistan's Paktika province, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) admitted Sunday.
"The accident occurred last night in the Barmal district of Paktika when an ISAF unit fired two mortar rounds, which landed nearly 1 kilometre away from the intended target," an ISAF statement issued in Kabul said.
"Shortly afterwards wounded civilians presented themselves for treatment at an ISAF base, and a helicopter medical evacuation mission was immediately launched to assist," it said
ISAF soldiers also called for an airstrike during a mistaken clash with their own allies among the Afghan police in western Farah province, officials said.
"A convoy of foreign forces were crossing from Anar Derah district, since it was dark, for some unknown reasons they exchanged fire with Afghan police forces stationed in the district," Abdul Rauf Ahmadi, the western region police spokesman, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa,
"Foreign forces called for an airstrike, and eight Afghan police were killed and four others injured, including the police chief of Anar Derah district among the wounded." Ahmadi said.
The deputy governor of Farah province Yunus Rasuli said nine policemen were killed and five wounded, but denied that the police chief was among the casualties.
He said the ISAF troops failed to inform Afghan police that they would be crossing the district, and both groups apparently thought the others were insurgents.
NATO and US commands have not commented on the incident.
