Afghan airstrikes kill 12 Afghan security personnel in southern Helmand

APD NEWS

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At least 12 security personnel were killed after Afghan aircrafts mistakenly pounded forces positions in Gereshk district of the southern Helmand province on Sunday night, a security official said Monday.

"The bloody but erroneous air attack took place in Otrang village of Gereshk district on a position where Afghan troops were involved in operations against Taliban insurgents," the official told Xinhua, but refused to be identified, saying authorized officials would brief the media.

The victims, according to the officials include army and police personnel.

Meantime, spokesman for Helmand provincial government Omar Zawak has confirmed the incident, saying "10 Afghan military personnel were killed" in the attack.

The poppy growing Helmand province, with Lashkar Gah as its capital 555 km south of Kabul, has the scene of Taliban-led insurgency over the past decade.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)