US supported airstrike in Helmand province kills 16 Afghan police officers – PB/TK
US strike kills 16 Afghan policemen in Helmand province – By Mamoon Durrani / July 22 2017
A US airstrike has killed 16 policemen in Afghanistan, officials said Saturday, the latest setback to Washington’s efforts to bring peace to the war-torn country.
The incident took place in Helmand province on Friday as Afghan security forces attempted to clear a village of Taliban militants, Salam Afghan, a police spokesman, told AFP.
“In the strike, 16 Afghan policemen were killed including two commanders. Two other policemen were wounded,” he said.
The strike hit a compound in Gereshk district in Helmand, large parts of which are under Taliban control.
“A US-supported (Afghan security) operation…resulted in the deaths of… friendly Afghan forces who were gathered in a compound,” NATO’s mission in Afghanistan said in a statement.
“We would like to express our deepest condolences to the families affected by this unfortunate incident,” the statement said, adding there would be a probe into what happened.
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