Five US Troops Reportedly Killed by Friendly Fire in Afghanistan

Five US troops, and one Afghan soldier, were killed in southern Afghanistan on Monday — the heaviest foreign military death toll in a single day in months — in an incident that US officials are saying might have been caused by friendly fire.

The men were killed on Monday night in Zabul province, when a coalition jet called in to help fight off a Taliban attack bombed them instead, according to an Afghan official.

"The airstrike mistakenly bombed their own friends too," Ghulam Sakhi Roghliwanai, the province's police chief, told CNN.

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The Pentagon confirmed that five of the victims were American and that the troops were killed during a security operation.

“Tragically, there is the possibility that fratricide may have been involved,” a spokesman said. “The incident is under investigation.”

ISAF, the international security assistance force in Afghanistan, made a similar statement, adding: “The casualties occurred during a security operation when their unit came into contact with enemy forces.”

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While Afghan forces have taken over most military operations in the country — as foreign troops start to wind down their presence there — security across the country is ramping up ahead of Saturday’s presidential runoff vote.

There have now been 2,328 US casualties in Afghanistan since the beginning of the war.

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