WASHINGTON — Military investigators have concluded that some airstrikes that killed civilians during a battle in western Afghanistan last month were mistakes but are trying to determine whether the service members who called in the strikes could have known they were no longer in imminent danger when the bombs were dropped.
The investigation questioned the last two airstrikes conducted during the 8 1/2-hour firefight, according to a military official familiar with the probe. The bombs used in those strikes were dropped by an Air Force B-1 bomber at night, when it was more difficult to determine whether civilians were present.
The investigation, conducted by Brig. Gen. Raymond A. Thomas III, concluded that by the end of the fight, the ground forces probably should have disengaged.
U.S. officials have apologized for the civilian deaths, but they continue to be a source of anger and frustration in Afghanistan. The U.S. believes 26 civilians were mistakenly killed. The Afghanistan government puts the total at 140.
