According to media reports, five policemen were killed and two wounded when US air attack targeted them accidently in Nangarhar province. The sad incident took place in an operation when the air support was called by Afghan forces against the terrorists on Wednesday July 31, 2013. The US airstrike inadvertently targeted the Afghan policemen in an overnight operation, instead of doing any harm to the terrorists. NATO has launched an investigation of the incident.

According to Master Sergeant Bryan Gatewood, a spokesman for the NATO-led force, ‘A US aircraft engaged, inadvertently killing five Afghan National police members and wounding two.’ ‘An investigation is ongoing to determine the additional details of this unfortunate incident’, he further added.

This incident comes on a time when the security agreement between Afghan government and USA is about to be inked that would decide upon the role of foreign powers after their withdrawal of 2014. Such an incident would make this process difficult and more complications will come on surface.

After the great hue and cry of Afghan government, there had been a considerable decline in such incidents but this fresh incident widens the rift between the Afghan government and foreign troops in Afghanistan regarding the similar issues. In past as well, foreign troops were accused of showing carelessness and targeting Afghan security forces instead of militants and terrorists.

This would also add to the relations between the members of Afghan forces and foreign forces assisting them in maintaining law and order in the country. It was reported that Afghan forces were really angry with the role and behavior of foreign troops with the Afghan forces and such perceptions resulted in the famous ‘insider attacks’ in which an Afghan security member attacked and killed foreign troops. Such incident would definitely increase the gap between the two forces and result in the deepening of such antagonistic feelings of Afghan troops about the foreign troops.

In past as well, there were investigations about such miscalculated attacks but there was never any concrete action which not only enhanced the perceptions that lives of Afghan troops were not given due importance and foreign troops had complete impunity if they killed or wounded any Afghan civilian or even a member of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).

It is hoped that proper investigations should be carried out and the responsible should be tried in a court and they should be sentenced with due and fair punishments so that Afghans should start feeling that their lives are also worthy and foreign troops will also be punished for their crimes.