WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- There were "lots of mistakes" made during a military strike along the eastern Afghan border that left 24 Pakistani troops dead, a U.S. official said.
Ties between the United States and Pakistan sunk to new lows following a weekend airstrike along the Afghan-Pakistani border.
U.S. officials familiar with a preliminary investigation into the incident told The Wall Street Journal that U.S. forces in the region believed they were under fire from Taliban militants in the area and requested air support.
The airstrikes wound up hitting Pakistani troops in a temporary encampment.
The call for air support prompted U.S. military forces to contact a border patrol center manned by Pakistanis who gave the all clear to U.S. officials, the Journal adds.
U.S. authorities familiar with the incident stressed there were plenty of errors made during the operation, however.
"There were lots of mistakes made," one official said. "There was not good situational awareness to who was where and who was doing what."
Officials who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity said their information was derived from U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The final report, expected by Dec. 23, could provide a different account of the situation, Journal sources said.
