NATO air strike kills four Afghanistan soldiers in mix-up

KABUL: A joint US-Afghan force clashed with Afghan troops manning a snow-covered outpost and called in an air strike early on Saturday, killing 4 Afghan soldiers, US and Afghan officials said. Both sides called the clash a case of mistaken identity

Afghanistan's defence ministry condemned the killings in the eastern Wardak province and demanded punishment for those responsible. NATO called the deaths "regrettable" and announced an investigation.

The deaths are likely to strain relations between NATO and Afghan forces at a time both are calling for a closer partnership in the fight against the Taliban.

Underscoring those tensions, an Afghan interpreter killed two US service members Friday at a combat outpost elsewhere in Wardak province, a NATO official said.

A US soldier then killed the interpreter, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to release the information. It wasn't clear why the interpreter had opened fire on the Americans.

Both attacks occurred in the Sayed Abad district, but the official said they did not appear to be linked. First reports indicated three Americans were killed but NATO officials said one of the dead was an Afghan.

Saturday's fighting began about 3 am local time, when a joint US-Afghan force traded fire with another Afghan unit manning the outpost, which the army said had been established 18 months ago to guard the highway. International troops then called in an air strike, killing the four Afghans, NATO and the Afghan ministry said.