DHAKA: At least eight Afghan soldiers have been killed in a NATO air strike in eastern Afghanistan, according to security officials, in the latest ‘friendly fire’ incident involving foreign coalition forces.

Provincial army commander Abdul Razaq said the strike took place on Monday morning in Logar province’s district of Baraki Barak, about 50km east of Kabul.

He said five troops were also wounded as an army checkpoint was hit, reports Al Jazeera.

Other Afghan officials also reported the strike, though they gave a slightly different number of casualties. A report by the media put the death toll at least 10 people.

The Taliban group is active in the area, and fighters are known to transit through Baraki Barak.

District governor Mohammad Rahim Amin said the strike was likely a mistake, due to bad coordination.

He said two US helicopters had attacked the checkpoint, which caught fire.

A US military official in Afghanistan, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, told the media that they were aware of an incident in Logar and were investigating it.

A similar NATO air strike in the area in December killed five civilians and wounded six others.

US-led NATO forces ended their combat mission in Afghanistan in December, but a residual force remains for training and counterterrorism operations.

BDST: 1552 HRS, JULY 20, 2015
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