WASHINGTON/KABUL: Afghan security forces were killed on Friday in a US military air strike in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, the US military said, calling the friendly-fire deaths “unfortunate” and pledging an investigation.

“We would like to express our deepest condolences to the families affected by this unfortunate incident,” the US military said in a statement, adding the Afghan government had already been notified about the strike on a compound in Helmand’s Gereshk district, where the Afghan forces were gathered.

It did not say how many Afghans were believed to be killed.

Insurgent attack kills four police in Ghor

Four policemen were killed and another seven injured when insurgents attacked police compounds in western Ghor province, Mohammad Mustafa Moseni, Ghor provincial police chief, said on Friday.

He said Taliban attacked police compounds in the two provincial districts of Taywara and Pasaband, considered key to the security of the provincial capital.

The attacks, which occurred overnight, resulted in a four-hour gunbattle in which 24 Taliban were killed, said Moseni.

Meanwhile in norther Baghlan province fighting has raged for days on a key highway linking several of Afghanistan’s northern provinces to the capital of Kabul.

Hospital officials said eight local police and two civilians died earlier this week in one incident.

Deputy provincial police chief Said Amir Gul Hussainkhil said the fighting is continuing but it is sporadic.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2017