Two U.S. special forces
troops killed in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday may have been
struck by friendly fire in an operation targeting the emir of Islamic
State militants in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said on Friday.
Pentagon spokesman Captain
Jeff Davis told reporters that the military was investigating if the
two troops may have been killed by ground fire, either by American
forces or Afghan commandos taking part in the raid, though it
appeared to be accidental.
"We are investigating
the circumstances of the combat deaths of the two Army Rangers in the
beginning of what was an intense three-hour fire fight," Davis
said. "It is possible these Rangers were struck by friendly
fire."
Earlier in the day, the
Pentagon identifies the troops as Sergeant Joshua Rodgers, 22, and
Sergeant Cameron Thomas, 23. A third soldier was wounded in the
operation.
Davis said the target of
the raid was Abdul Hasib, the emir of Islamic State in Afghanistan.
The U.S. military suspected he was killed in the operation, but could
not yet confirm it.
The operation, near the
border with Pakistan, started at about 10:30 p.m. local time on
Wednesday and within minutes the 50 U.S. Army Rangers along with 40
Afghan commandos came under fire from multiple direction.
"It was during these
initial moments of the raid that the two Rangers were mortally
wounded," Davis said.
Fighting carried on for the
next three hours, with Islamic State fighters.
Source,
www.reuters.com
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