ISAF escalation of force incident, 4 civilians dead and three others wounded
Kabul, Afghanistan -- ISAF soldiers opened fire on a vehicle that failed to stop at a check point earlier today killing four civilian
occupants and wounding three others. Two further occupants were unharmed.
The incident occurred in the Sangin district of Helmand Province. The vehicle approached the check point and was
directed to stop but it drove on. ISAF soldiers fired warning shots in a safe direction away from the vehicle but were
eventually forced to fire at it when it refused to stop, fearing an insurgent attack.
The injured civilians were treated for their injuries by ISAF medical personnel at the scene and were taken to Camp
Inkerman for further checks. They were then taken by helicopter to Camp Bastion hospital where they arrived at 0900
hours for further treatment.
The bodies of the four civilians who died were taken back to their village by the two civilians who were uninjured in
the incident. Both indicated that the driver of the vehicle was at fault for failing to stop when required to do so.
ISAF deeply regrets this unnecessary incident caused by the reckless actions of the vehicle driver. The incident will be
investigated.
Source: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
ENDS