6 troops charged in Afghan deaths
Prosecutors charged six Polish soldiers with murder and violating international law in the deaths of several civilians in an allegedly unprovoked attack in Afghanistan.
A seventh soldier involved in the Aug. 16 attack in Nangarkhel village faces lesser charges, said Karol Frankowski, a military prosecutor in the western city of Poznan.
The group is accused of firing mortars and machine guns at the village in the eastern Afghan province of Paktika without “any simultaneous, direct threat,” Frankowski said. If found guilty, the six charged with murder face prison terms of 12 years to life, and the seventh faces at least five years in prison.
The criminal charges were the first brought against Polish soldiers in connection with military actions in Afghanistan. Several soldiers who served in Iraq were found guilty of corruption while on duty.
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