A US friendly fire airstrike killed 12 Afghan police officers in the restive southern Helmand province on Friday, a local news agency cited its sources as saying.
Sources told TOLO News two police commanders were among Afghan security members who lost their lives in a gunship strike at a checkpoint recaptured from Taliban militants.
NATO’s Resolute Support mission confirmed earlier that erroneous “aerial fires” had resulted in the deaths of several friendly Afghan forces who had been gathered in a compound.
Afghanistan has been suffering from years of Islamist insurgency and associated security vacuum, as well as from infighting in the government that is still struggling to control parts of the country.