May 31, 2004
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Friendly Fire Likely Killed Tillman
Associated Press Writer
An Afghan military official told The Associated Press on Saturday that Army Ranger and former pro football player Pat Tillman died because of a "misunderstanding" when two mixed groups of American and Afghan soldiers began firing wildly in the confusion following an explosion.
The Afghan official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also contradicted U.S. reports that the American soldiers had come under enemy fire.
He told the AP that two groups of soldiers had drifted some distance apart during the operation in the remote Spera district of Khost province.
"Suddenly the sound of a mine explosion was heard somewhere between the two groups and the Americans in one group started firing," the official said, citing an account given to him by an Afghan fighter who was part of that group, not Tillman's.
"As the result of this firing, that American was killed and three Afghan soldiers were injured. It was a misunderstanding and afterwards they realized there were no enemy forces."
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