AN American fighter jet dropped at least one laser-guided bomb on Canadian forces in Afghanistan, by mistake, during a training exercise on Wednesday. Officials said four soldiers were killed and eight were injured.
Besides the soldiers with life-threatening injuries, six others
were wounded, ”one with very serious injuries, and five with
serious injuries,” the ministry said in a statement.
”At approximately 5:25 pm (2225 GMT, Wednesday), a US Air
National Guard F-16 dropped one or two 500-pound bombs on 3 PPCLI
Battle Group troops who were conducting a live-fire training
exercise in an area about 14 kilometres south of the Kandahar
airfield,” the statement said.
The soldiers belonged to the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s
Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group (3 PPCLI).
”Planning for the evacuation of the killed and wounded is now
underway,” the ministry said.
US and Canadian officials had no idea about what cause the error and a joint investigation is being planned.
”How this can happen is a mystery to us. Without a doubt, there was a misidentification,” Canada’s defence chief, Lt. Gen. Ray Henault told reporters in Ottawa, as quoted by the Washington Post.
There was no immediate word from the White House on the accident, the newspaper said. – Sapa-AFP