Afghanistan Times
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MoD kicks off probe into the incident
By Farhad Naibkhel-KABUL: The coalition forces’ choppers have targeted Afghan National Army’s (ANA) check-post in southeastern Logar province on Monday morning, killing at least 10 soldiers.
Logar police chief, Daud Ahmadi, told Afghanistan Times that the collation troops’ air forces targeted the ANA soldiers’ check post in Chehltan area in Baraki Barak district in Logar at around 6:30am on Monday, which left nine troops dead and six others wounded.
He said police forces reached the area shortly after the incident and shifted the wounded to nearest hospital.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) in a statement confirmed the incident, saying that it happened after coalition forces’ choppers were passing the area when came under the Taliban firing. “In retaliation shelling by coalition forces’ helicopters, an ANA outpost also destroyed and a number of ANA troops were killed and injured,” the statement added.
The MoD said a delegation was sent to the area to probe the incident.
According to the statement, the MoD will thoroughly investigate the incident as it is responsibility of the ministry to defend the rights of ANA troops.
Meanwhile, a US military official, who denied to be named, confirmed the incident in the province saying that “we are aware of an incident involving US forces in Logar this morning, 20 July. This incident is under investigation.”
Baraki Barak district is among insecure districts in Logar, where the Taliban rebels are active and are involved in different terrorist activities. However, reports say that the Afghan national flag was weaving on the ANA check post which was targeted by coalition forces.
Analysts believe that the Logar incident is a sign of weak coordination between Afghan security forces and coalition troops in targeting terrorists’ safe havens.
The airstrike in Baraki Barak where Afghan troops were killed is not the first incident of its type; Afghan security forces’ check posts have been targeted by international troops’ airstrike several times in past years.
Former President Hamid Karzai often criticized coalition forces’ airstrikes during his tenure, particularly the night raids.
