A NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan has admitted to having accidentally killed a BBC journalist, Ahmed Omed Khpulwak in July.
ISAF said a U.S. soldier mistook the Pashto service reporter for the insurgents when troops responded to an attack by militants in the town of Tarin Kot in southern Uruzgan province.
Khpulwak was one of the 19 people killed.
NATO launched an investigation after the first reports that Khpulwak were killed by insurgents were asked.
According to the BBC, acknowledged that ISAF has made clear, ending a period of uncertainty, but it would study details of the findings upon receiving the full report.
Director of BBC Global News, Peter Horrocks said: "Ahmed Omed death further highlights the grave dangers facing journalists who were killed in the line of critical news from around the world It 'important that the providers will receive the best possible protection, while reporting incidents so that the world can listen to their stories ..
"Our thoughts are with Ahmed, even though his family, and will continue to do everything we can to support them."
Touch the map?
ISAF has concluded that the results Khpulwak, 25, was shot dead by an American soldier, who thought him a suicide bomber.
The report said ISAF troops were responding to an insurgent attack against the offices of Radio and Television Afghanistan (RTA).
The soldiers tried to clear the building after two suicide bombers exploded devices when they noticed a man "with something landed in one of his hands and reached something of himself with his other hand."
The report said: "Based on the events preceding the minutes of a soldier should act as a suicide bomber, who had taken the action to detonate an IED [improvised explosive device], which represented a mortal threat to a certain number of troops in the region has fired an individual in his M-4, killing him .. "
The BBC said David Loyns Khpulwak had taken refuge in a bathroom and was to have been his press card.
Isaf said Khpulwak death is tragic and expressed his condolences to his family.
But he said he was sure of his soldiers had respected the laws of armed conflict and rules of engagement and acted reasonably under the circumstances.
Heavy fighting broke out in Tarin Kowt in the market after three suicide attacks.
Heavy machine guns, rocket launchers and guns were used by both sides, witnesses said. Afghan government forces had air support from NATO.
He gave the Taliban to carry out attacks, but forbade the killing of a journalist, has accused government troops shoot him, fought back inside the area.
Khpulwak reportedly sent a message to his brother in two separate phases. Read this first: "I'm hiding the death has come .." In another he wrote: "Pray for me, if I die."
Khpulwak, who also worked for the Afghan news agency Pajwak, joined the BBC in 2008.
In September 2009, NATO troops rescued the kidnapped British journalist Stephen Farrell, the Taliban, but his Afghan colleague, Sultan Munadi, a British soldier and two Afghan civilians were killed in the operation.
And in October 2010, the United Kingdom Linda Norgrove kidnapped aid worker killed in a grenade launched the U.S. Special Forces team, because he tried to save him from the province of Kunar.
ISAF is 140 000 people, NATO-led force, which is to tackle the Taliban insurgency.
Although the victim declined slightly this year from 2010, there were 66 U.S. combat deaths in August 2011, according to an unofficial count by The Associated Press, making it the bloodiest month for U.S. troops in nearly 10 years of war.
Foreign troops are expected at the end of combat operations in Afghanistan in 2014.
0 comments:
Post a Comment