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U.S. Troops Exchange Fire with Afghan Allies

Incident is called a 'misunderstanding'

Friday, August 23, 2002
The Associated Press

Commander Husainkhil said it occurred about a half-mile west of Zormat in Paktia province, the same area where U.S.-led forces launched a new hunt last weekend for al-Qaida fighters.

KABUL, Afghanistan -- AP
American troops on patrol in southeastern Afghanistan exchanged fire with allied Afghan soldiers at a checkpoint, a senior Afghan commander said Thursday. No casualties were reported on either side.

Gary Tallman, a U.S. Army spokesman at the Bagram air base, said he was not aware of the incident.

The 10-minute firefight began Tuesday night when Afghan soldiers near Zormat district stopped the Americans and asked them for a password required for traveling on roads after a 9 p.m. curfew, commander Abul Matin Husainkhil said by satellite phone from nearby Gardez.

He said that the Americans did not know the password and the two sides briefly engaged each other with automatic weapons. It was not clear who began shooting first.
(More: The Dominion Post News Source)
2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan