U.S. Special Forces troops killed six Afghan policemen and a civilian today in what military officials are calling a "tragic case of mistaken identity." The Americans were fighting militants near a checkpoint in Qalat, a city in southern Afghanistan. The policemen apparently mistook the Americans for the Taliban and began to fire on them. A U.S. helicopter then fired on the policemen's position. Thirteen others were wounded in the fight. As the BBC notes, "[S]o-called friendly fire incidents between US or NATO and Afghan forces happen frequently."
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