7 Afghan police killed in friendly fire

updated 11:55 a.m. ET June 12, 2007

KABUL, Afghanistan - U.S. forces mistakenly killed seven Afghan police and wounded four in an apparent friendly fire incident early Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan, Afghan officials said.

Police manning a remote checkpoint in Nangarhar province said an American convoy backed by helicopters approached and opened fire despite their protests and calls for them to stop.

“I thought they were Taliban, and we shouted at them to stop, but they came closer and they opened fire,” said Khan Mohammad, one of the policemen at the post. “I’m very angry. We are here to protect the Afghan government and help serve the Afghan government, but the Americans have come to kill us.”

The commander at the post, Esanullah, who goes by one name, said a helicopter fired rockets, killing seven policemen and wounding four.

A spokeswoman for NATO’s International Security Assistance Force said she had no information that U.S. forces that fall under ISAF’s command were involved. A spokesman for the separate U.S.-led coalition said he was looking into the report.

There were conflicting reports over how the fighting started.

Zurmai Khan, the Khogyani district chief, said fighting started just before midnight Monday between Taliban militants and Afghan police, and two hours into the battle U.S. forces arrived and opened fire on the police.

However, Esanullah and Noragha Zowak, spokesman for the Nangarhar governor, said no Taliban were involved in the incident.

Khan labeled the incident a “misunderstanding.”

“Unfortunately the Americans and the Afghans, the two sides didn’t know it was the other,” said Zowak.

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