[ 美国 雅虎 ] 五名美军士兵死于友军炮火袭击

满 江 红

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Five Americanstroops were killed in an apparent coalition airstrike in southern Afghanistan,officials said Tuesday, in one of the worst friendly fire incidents involvingUnited States and coalition troops since the start of the nearly 14 year war.The U.S.-led international coalition said the service members were killed in an apparent friendly fireincident, which an Afghan official said was an airstrike in southern Zabulprovince. A statement said all five soldiers died on Monday but did not givefurther details on the attack."Five American troops were killedyesterday during a security operation in southern Afghanistan. Investigatorsare looking into the likelihood that friendly fire was the cause. Our thoughtsand prayers are with the families of these fallen," Pentagon spokesmanRear Adm. John Kirby said.If confirmed, it would be one of the mostserious cases involving coalition-on-coalition friendly fire during the war."The casualties occurredduring a security operation when their unitcame into contact with enemy forces. Tragically, there is thepossibility that fratricide may have been involved. The incident is underinvestigation," the coalition said in an earlier announcement.One of the worst such incidents came inApril 2002 when four Canadiansoldiers were killed by an American F-16 jetfighter which dropped a bomb on a group of troops during night firing exercisein southern Kandahar.A senior police official in southern Zabulsaid the coalition soldiers were killed when they called for close air support.