By KUNA
London : Four Afghan civilians have been killed in an airstrike by British forces, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.
The attack happened when troops called for help during a Taleban ambush in Helmand Province, south Afghanistan, the MoD confirmed last night.
“We deeply regret that this incident happened and do everything we can to mitigate this from happening,” the MoD said.
The four bodies, two women and two children, and one injured person were found when troops inspected the area.
The MoD said in a statement “We can confirm UK forces were involved in an operation in the south of Helmand Province”.
“This incident is currently under investigation and it would be inappropriate for us to comment,” it added.
The British troops had been caught up in an intense fire fight after being ambushed, an MoD spokeswoman said.
The civilians were unintentionally killed after air support was called in and directed on to the area where the Taleban appeared to have been operating.
An injured person was evacuated to the British field hospital at Camp Bastion for medical treatment, the spokeswoman added.