Wednesday December 5 2:15 PM ET
By Charles Aldinger
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. special forces troops were killed and 19 injured in Afghanistan (news - web sites) on Wednesday by an errant 2,000-pound "smart'' bomb dropped by a U.S. B-52 bomber north of the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, the Pentagon (news - web sites) said.
Five anti-Taliban opposition soldiers operating with the elite American troops were also killed and a number of others injured in the accidental "friendly fire'' incident after the U.S. forces requested the air strike, defense officials said.
The Department of Defense (news - web sites) originally put the death toll of Americans at two but at a later briefing said one of the injured in the attack had died on an aircraft en route to a medical facility outside of Afghanistan.
"Unfortunately the number of U.S. forces killed is now three,'' said Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke. "As many (weapons) improvements as have been made, technology is not perfect.''
The big bomb, normally guided to targets by pinpoint satellite positioning, struck about 100 yards from U.S. and opposition troops as the high-flying, eight-engine jet tried to hit enemy Taliban troops who were firing mortars. There was no indication how far that was from the aim point.
U.S. officials said Hamid Karzai, the ethnic Pashtun tribal chief already chosen to lead an interim, post-Taliban government in Afghanistan, was also slightly injured by the bomb. He has been leading a struggle to chase the Taliban from their last stronghold in the southern Afghan city.
"We have heard that Karzai has been out, he's been visible, he seems to be doing fine,'' Clarke said.
WORST 'FRIENDLY FIRE' INCIDENT
It was the worst incident of friendly fire involving American troops since the U.S.-led bombing campaign began in Afghanistan on Oct. 7 in response to the Sept. 11 hijacking attacks on the United States that killed nearly 4,000 people.
"I don't know what the intended target was,'' said Navy Rear Adm. John Stufflebeem, a senior officer at the Joint Staff. "It was being called on enemy troops.''
The deaths were only the second, third and fourth American combat fatalities in Afghanistan. A CIA (news - web sites) operative was killed earlier in fighting near Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan.
Five other U.S. special forces personnel were accidentally injured in northern Afghanistan on Nov. 26 in a similar incident involving an errant U.S. smart bomb. They later were awarded the Purple Heart medal for injuries in action.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) said, "The president offers his condolences to the families and loved ones that have been affected by this morning's accident. He regrets the loss of life and wishes the injured a full and speedy recovery.''
Those requiring additional medical attention will be removed from the country, the Pentagon said.
The incident took place at about 12:30 a.m. EST when the B-52, flying in support of opposition forces, "dropped its ordnance in close proximity to friendly forces,'' the U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida.
"It was a 2,000-pound 'JDAM' bomb,'' U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dan Stoneking told Reuters at the Pentagon.
OTHER NON-COMBAT DEATHS
At least five other American personnel have died in the region since President Bush (news - web sites) declared war on terrorism, but none of those deaths were in Afghanistan or in direct combat.
Dozens of U.S. Army Special Operations troops have been operating in recent weeks with the forces of southern Afghan Pashtun tribes that have surrounded and laid siege to the last Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.
U.S. troops are spotting targets for B-52 and other bombers based at a British base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia and Navy attack jets flying from aircraft carriers.
Army troops also have set up roadblocks and observation posts to attack Taliban forces and members of the al Qaeda guerrilla network of Saudi-born fugitive Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), accused by Washington of masterminding the September attacks on the Pentagon and New York City's World Trade Center.
Meanwhile, a force of 1,300 U.S. Marines as well as Australian and other allied troops moved to cut off Taliban and al Qaeda escape and supply routes south of Kandahar.
Marine Corps Capt. David Romley, spokesman for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit at the Marines' desert airstrip base south of Kandahar, said that the wounded from the friendly fire incident had been transferred to the airstrip by helicopter.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday that more American deaths could be expected in the Afghan fighting, but that such casualties would not stop or slow the war against terrorism.