Coalition Forces Mistakenly Attack Afghanistan Army Position

(22 Oct 08 - RV) A U.S.-led coalition air-strike hit an Afghan army checkpoint early today, killing nine soldiers and wounding three. The governor of the eastern Khost province said the strike hit a fixed checkpoint in the Sayed Kheil area. The U.S. said its forces «may have mistakenly killed and injured» Afghan soldiers in what may have been a case of mistaken identity «on both sides.» Scores of Afghan civilians have been killed in air strikes by international troops in the country this year, feeding a perception that NATO-led and U.S. coalition forces do not take enough care when calling in air support. The International Committee of the Red Cross is active in assisting victims of armed conflict and natural disaster throughout the country. Communication Coordinator for the ICRC in Afghanistan, Graziella Leite-Piccolo, told us about the organization’s work with the war-wounded at the Midwife Public Hospital in the southeast Kandahar province…