Seven Afghan forces, civilian killed in NATO airstrike (Roundup)

Nov 7, 2009, 13:04 GMT

Kabul - Seven Afghan security forces and a civilian were killed and five US soldiers and 15 Afghan forces were injured in a NATO airstrike in western Afghanistan during a search operation for two missing US soldiers, officials said Saturday.

'Seven Afghan forces, both police and army personnel, were killed in a NATO airstrike,' a Defence Ministry statement said. It said a number of Afghan forces were also wounded in the air raid on Friday in western province of Badghis.

However, the alliance said in a statement that it was not known if all the casualties were caused by NATO's air raid, because insurgent attack was also reported.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said four Afghan soldiers and three policemen were killed while five US soldiers and 15 Afghan forces were wounded on Friday.

NATO soldiers along with Afghan forces launched an operation in the province to find two missing US soldiers in the western region, according to an ISAF statement. 'In the course of search operations, the joint force was engaged by enemy forces,' ISAF said.

The two 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers went missing Wednesday during a resupply mission in the region.

An Afghan civilian working for NATO forces was also killed and another was injured, ISAF statement said.

'ISAF and Afghan authorities are currently investigating whether some of the casualties were caused by ISAF close air support,' it said.

ISAF said the search would continue until the two missing soldiers are rescued or recovered.

The incident in Badghis came two days after an Afghan policeman opened fire on his British military trainers in southern province of Helmand, killing five British soldiers and wounding six.

More than 100,000 international military troops deployed from 42 nations are currently stationed in Afghanistan. US troops make up two-thirds of the NATO force.