Nato air strike leaves four Afghan soldiers dead
A Nato air strike in southern Afghanistan has mistakenly killed four Afghan soldiers, officials said.
An Afghan defence ministry spokesman confirmed that the soldiers, who were on patrol, were killed in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province after being mistaken for militants.
Nato has been informed and is investigating, he spokesman said.
The incident comes hours before US President Barack Obama delivers a review of his Afghan strategy.
A spokesman for Nato, Capt Ciro Parisi, said a team had been sent to investigate the incident but he could not confirm the deaths.
Helmand is one of the most violent regions of Afghanistan, with Nato troops battling Taliban rebels.
Three policemen died in August in northern Jowzjan province in a Nato air strike. Another Nato air strike killed six Afghan soldiers in Ghazni province in July.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said again yesterday that Nato should transfer full responsibility for all the country's affairs, including security, back into the hands of Afghans by the end of 2014.
