Military

DATE=4/18/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=AFGHAN BOMBING UPDATE (S ONLY)

NUMBER=2-288890

BYLINE=ALEX BELIDA

DATELINE=PENTAGON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: At least four Canadian soldiers have been killed and at least eight others wounded in a so-called friendly fire incident near Kandahar in Afghanistan. V-O-A Pentagon Correspondent Alex Belida says the pilot of a U-S F-16 apparently thought the Canadians were enemy forces and dropped at least one bomb on them.

TEXT: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says it was a tragic accident. But speaking to U-S military personnel in the midwestern state of Illinois (Thursday), Mr. Rumsfeld says details of how it happened are under investigation and declines to comment.

///RUMSFELD ACTUALITY///

What we do know is some very fine coalition partners of ours from our neighbor to the north, Canada, were killed and they were killed by one or more bombs dropped from an F-16.

///END ACTUALITY///

U-S defense officials believe the F-16 pilot apparently acted out of self-defense, thinking he was under fire from the ground and did not realize the Canadians were involved in a live-fire training exercise. (Signed)

NEB/BEL/PT