| Friendly Fire incident at Sangin | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021) | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
Coalition: United States Canada United Kingdom Islamic Republic of Afghanistan |  Taliban | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 1 killed 1 wounded 1 killed 3 wounded[1] 8 killed 1 wounded[1][2] | 30 killed (unconfirmed)[3] | ||||
TheFriendly fire incident at Sangin was a military incident that took place on March 29, 2006. Afghan insurgents mounted an assault on aforward operating base inHelmand province near the town ofLashkar Gah, which had been opened only six weeks earlier and was staffed by 100 ANA soldiers and their American trainers,[3] using small arms fire,rocket-propelled grenades, andmortars.[4]
While eight Afghan soldiers were killed in the initial assault, an American soldier was killed and another wounded, a Canadian soldier was killed and three more wounded, and another Afghan soldier was wounded following afriendly fire incident in which an American soldier manning aHumvee-mounted7.62mm gun fired on their positions.[5]
The fighting began when the militants attacked anAfghan National Army re-supply convoy on Highway 611 nearFOB Robinson,[5][6] killing two soldiers. Although the locally contracted convoy was unknown to Coalition troops prior to its reporting of contact with insurgents,[5] two BritishHarrier aircraft were dispatched fromKandahar Airfield, along with a pair of AmericanBoeing AH-64 Apache gunships.[3] After the militants were scattered two hours after the fighting began, the convoy was hit a short distance later by animprovised explosive device along the roadside, killing six soldiers, and was stranded 9–13 miles from the base.[5]
At approximately 10:00 p.m., aQuick Reaction Force, made up of 38 men comprising 7 Platoon of C Company of 1st Battalion,Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, was deployed from the airfield in American helicopters, to escort the convoy back to its base.[3]
Four hours later, with the convoy and Canadian escort now resting in the base, the American forces conducted a defensive patrol and determined that "there's no way they'll hit us tonight", referring to their belief that the 80-vehicle convoy and new troop presence would deter the insurgents.[5]
The militants resurfaced in the hills to the west of the base, the ruins of a mud house to the north, and the poppy fields to the south, and began firing theirAK-47s andRPGs.[3][7] American Sergeant John T. Stone was shot in the torso, possibly byfriendly fire.[8]
The first Canadian to die in combat in the war, Private Robert Costall was laying downcover fire with hisC-9 from beneath a small berm together with Chris Fernandez-Ledon.[7][9][10] He was shot once through the back of the head, and once in the chest.[7] Master Warrant Officer Ray Brodeur was shot in the leg and the midriff, and two other Canadians were also wounded,[7] as was an American – all from a single American Humvee which fired 3–5 bursts at friendly positions before being ordered to cease fire when it was realised he was firing on friendly forces.[5]
AmericanBoeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers then dropped bombs on the militant positions, which brought an unconfirmed casualty total of 30 for the Taliban, and effectively ending the battle.[3]
Three separate investigations were launched within a day of the battle, by the AmericanCombined Joint Task Force 76 who ordered a 15-6 investigation, the AmericanCriminal Investigation Detachment and theCanadian Forces National Investigation Service. Canada also launched a board of inquiry, which determined all four Canadians had indeed been shot as a result offriendly fire from an AmericanHMMWV.[5]
The twogun barrels from the vehicle were seized by American military investigators as part of a criminal investigation.[5]
Following an external examination by Lieutenant Commander Clifford at Kandahar Airfield, Costall's remains were sent back to Canada, where the Chief Coroner of Ontario performed an autopsy on April 2, 2006. The bullets extracted from his body were turned over to theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police forensics laboratory in Halifax, and found to be consistent with 7.62 mm rounds.[5]
Following the battle, the 1st PPCLI launched "a response" by moving in to take control of Taliban-controlled poppy fields throughOperation Ketara.[6]
31°35′21″N64°21′48″E / 31.5892°N 64.3633°E /31.5892; 64.3633