AfGhAN policemeN killed by u.s.

At least three Afghan policemen were killed and two wounded when an American military aircraft opened fire during an operation in southern Afghanistan, officials said on Saturday. The so-called “friendly fire” incident occurred overnight, during a raid in Afghanistan’s restive Helmand province, the US military command in Kabul said in a statement. The officers, members of the Afghan Border Police, were killed when a US aircraft “returned fire”, which included Afghan and American special forces, a military spokesman said. “We would like to express our deepest condolences to the families of the ABP members affected by this unfortunate incident,” the statement said. Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the Helmand governor, put the toll at three policemen killed and two wounded. Both Afghan and American officials said they were investigating the incident. Taliban insurgents have made widespread gains in Helmand, seizing many of the province’s districts.