Erroneous airstrikes kill 5 soldiers in Afghanistan

At least five Afghan security personnel died and seven were injured in an airstrike which mistakenly targeted a military base in the country. Similar mistake had left five soldiers dead near Uruzgan provincial capital Tirin Kot in March.

Kunduz: Five Afghan security personnel were killed and seven others were injured as airstrikes mistakenly targeted a military base in the country's Kunduz province, officials said on Wednesday.

Mahboubullah Sayedi, the Governor of Imam Sahib district, said that the air raids conducted around 2 a.m. were meant to target armed militants but they mistakenly struck an Army base in Ismael Qushlaq area of the district.

The official didn't say if the attacking planes belonged to the Afghan Air Force or the US-led coalition troops.

This is not the first time that the so-called friendly fire has claimed the lives of Afghan security personnel.

A US-led forces friendly fire which targeted Taliban fighters in Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand province on May 16, reportedly slammed into a police bastion, killing 17 police personnel and wounding 11 others.

A similar mistake had left five soldiers dead near Uruzgan provincial capital Tirin Kot in March.