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All 5 Injured Troops Evacuated to Uzbekistan, then Germany
Monday, November 26, 2001
By SFC Kathleen T. Rhem
United States Army
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON
All five service members injured in a friendly-fire incident near Mazar-e Sharif in Afghanistan were evacuated to Uzbekistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs said this afternoon. A DoD spokeswoman had earlier said only three were injured seriously enough to be evacuated.

At an afternoon briefing, Air Force Gen. Richard Myers told Pentagon reporters the five service members are being cared for by American military medical personnel in Uzbekistan and will soon be sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. All five service members are listed in serious condition.

"The medical facilities in Uzbekistan are a first line of treatment," Myers said. "They can stabilize (injured service members) there and move them to Landstuhl."

The troops were working with opposition forces in the northern Afghan town to quell an uprising among Taliban forces imprisoned there, Myers said. He wouldn't speculate on the cause of the accident, but said it is being investigated as "a fratricide issue." The incident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. this morning Eastern Time, Myers said.

Earlier reports said a Joint Direct Attack Munition dropped close to the service members' position.
(DefenseLink.Mil News Source)
2001 © American Forces Press Service.

Dan