KABUL -- An air strike has mistakenly killed at least nine Afghan police officers, including a commander, during a battle with the Taliban in the southern province of Helmand, local officials say.
They said that 14 officers were also wounded in the May 16 strike in the Nahr-e Saraj district , which is located outside the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah.
Helmand Governor Mohammad Yasin said that the incident was being investigated.
His spokesman, Omar Zwak, said that foreign forces in Afghanistan had carried out the air strike as part of an operation to drive out Taliban militants from the area.
A statement from the militant group claimed that U.S. forces were behind it.
There was no immediate comment from the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan or the U.S. military.
The Taliban has continued attacks against Afghan and foreign troops despite holding several rounds of peace talks with the United States in Qatar.
With reporting by AP and dpa
