from cnn.com
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Four Canadian soldiers were killed and eight wounded near Kandahar on Thursday when a U.S. F-16 dropped a 500-pound laser-guided bomb on them during a training mission, according to U.S. and Canadian military officials.
The "friendly fire" incident happened at about 1:55 a.m. in Afghanistan, the officials said.
Two of the injured Canadian soldiers sustained life-threatening injuries, one was listed with very serious injuries and five with serious injuries, according to a statement from the Canadian Defense Ministry.
Planning for the evacuation of the dead and wounded is under way, the statement said.
"I'd like to convey to the families and friends of the injured and dead soldiers our condolences and prayers," said Maj. Bryan Hilferty, U.S. Army spokesman at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien also said in a statement that he had received a call from U.S. President George W. Bush, expressing the condolences of the American people to Canadian families who had lost loved ones.
"As to the circumstances of what appears to have been a terrible accident, clearly there are many questions that the families, and all Canadians, expect to be answered," Chretien said.
The Canadian soldiers were conducting a live-fire training exercise in an area about nine miles (14 kilometers) south of the Kandahar airfield, the Canadian statement said.
The soldiers were firing at inert targets in a "recognized training area," according to Maj. Jamie Robertson, a spokesman for the Canadian Joint Task Force.
Canadian military authorities said they would carry out an investigation of the incident with the cooperation of the United States.
"The details are something that need to be determined ... but certainly my understanding is that there was no hostile activity in the area that would have created this incident," said Gen. Ray Henault, chief of defense staff, at a news conference in Ottawa.
Henault said the American fighter pilot could not visually identify the troops because the exercise took place in the middle of the night.
"Without a doubt, there was a misidentification of the Canadians and what they were doing on the ground and that was obviously the cause of this accident," Henault said.
The Canadian soldiers, part of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group, have been in Afghanistan since late January as part of Operation Apollo, Canada's military commitment to the campaign against terrorism, according to the Canadian Defense Ministry.
