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US pilot bombs his own: 22 killed

April 7 2003

At least four US Special Forces soldiers and 18 Kurdish fighters have been killed after a US plane bombed their convoy near Erbil in northern Iraq last night.

Wajih Barzani, the head of special forces of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and brother of KDP leader Massoud Barzani, was one of 45 Kurds injured in the "friendly fire" incident. The injured have been taken to Erbil's central hospital for treatment.

BBC world affairs editor John Simpson, who was slightly hurt, reported from the scene of the incident, saying the convoy contained between eight and 10 cars, two of which carried US Special Forces troops.

"It was an American plane, dropped the bomb right beside us, I saw it land about 10 to 12 feet (about four metres) away.

"This is just a scene from hell here. All the vehicles are on fire, there are bodies burning, there are bodies lying around, there are bits of bodies on the ground.

"We don't know how many Americans are dead. There's ammunition exploding from some of these cars."

US command said in a statement it was investigating the incident. "Coalition aircraft were conducting close air support missions at the time, and were in coordination with ground forces," it said.

It did not have immediate information on casualties.

US special forces have been helping call in air strikes to assist Kurdish fighters by pounding Iraqi positions ahead of the advance on Mosul and Kirkuk.

It is the latest in a series of friendly fire incidents since the war began on March 20. There have already been at least 10 coalition deaths, including three US soldiers killed late last week when a US fighter accidentally bombed a US artillery position south of Baghdad.

- Reuters, AFP

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