Dutch say 4 slain in ‘friendly fire’
Dutch troops in Afghanistan killed two of their own men during a nighttime battle and, separately, two Afghan soldiers they mistook for enemies.
Gen. Dick Berlijn, the top Dutch military commander, said darkness, weather conditions and confusing battle conditions led to the “friendly fire” fatalities.
Opposing fighters were between Dutch units during the fighting in Oruzgan province. The two Afghans, who were not “recognizably in uniform,” were killed after they approached a wounded Dutch soldier several miles away, Berlijn said.
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