Civilian casualties possible: NZDF

For the first time the Defence Force has acknowledged civilians may have been killed in a raid in Afghanistan in 2010 but it is still insisting a new book is inaccurate and identified the wrong village.

In a media briefing yesterday, the Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Tim Keating said civilians, who were at times used by insurgents as human shields, may have been hit by fire from an American Apache helicopter that accidentally hit a building due to an equipment malfunction.

But he said there were ‘‘blurred lines’’ between combatants and non-combatants.

An assessment of the August 21-22, 2010 raid, known as Operation Burnham, was undertaken by coalition forces and Afghan authorities the week after the raid and found it was possible there were civilian casualties.

But the Defence Force has always said the report that found civilian casualties was ‘‘unfounded’’.

However, Keating admitted that was wrong.

There was no confirmation afterwards that civilians died, but there may have been, Keating said.

He said the NZDF had been given a summary of the assessment report, not the report itself.

In a rebuttal of the book, Hit and Run, Keating said nine insurgents were killed.

The SAS ground forces fired only two bullets, which hit and killed a single insurgent. The others were killed by other forces, including by helicopter fire.

The troops had followed ‘‘exemplary’’ process and had a legal adviser with them, who found no cause for concern.

‘‘The plan was notable for its level of detail to avoid civilian casualties’’ and the presence of a legal adviser was unusual at the time but was now quite common.

The troops had followed correct practice by announcing their arrival by loud hailer to warn the villagers.

‘‘The clear contrast to me between the book and what actually happened during Operation Burnham was in all respects the conduct of the New Zealand ground forces was exemplary,’’ Keating said.

He insisted that the village where Operation Burnham took place was Tirgiran, 2 kilometres south of the two villages of Naik and Khak Khurday Dad that authors Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson had identified as the attack site.

Keating said the two areas were roughly as far apart as Te Papa Museum and Wellington Hospital but much further when the mountainous terrain was taken into account. But they were not in line of sight, with four ridges in between, and were completely different in terms of topography.

It was ‘‘highly unlikely’’ a raid would have occurred on those two villages at the same time, Keating said. Despite the distance, forces in operation in Tirgiran would have heard any gunfire or explosions in the other two villages.

He said the Defence Force did not have the names of the insurgents killed but the names of the six killed and 15 injured mentioned in Hager and Stephenson’s book came from Naik and Khak Khurday Dad.

The Defence Force had camera footage, which was classified, and it was being checked with the coalition to see if it was possible to release it.

Keating confirmed he had seen it.

He also said the operation was not a revenge attack following the death of a Kiwi soldier.

Speaking after the press conference, Hager said he was still confident the book was right.

He said the information provided by Keating was ‘‘very much a diversion, not an explanation’’.