NZ soldiers in botched Kabul raid - report

SAS soldiers involved in a Kabul raid in which two Afghan security guards were killed acted in self defence, the New Zealand Defence Force says.

The SAS soldiers led the NATO International Security Assistance Force's (ISAF) raid which left two civilian security guards dead, the Times of London newspaper reported.

ISAF said the Christmas Eve operation had been aimed at stopping a car bomb attack on the US Embassy the next day. It said it was a "credible threat". However, no explosives were found at the scene.

The Times reported it was led by New Zealand soldiers identified as the commander "Sean" and his deputy "James".

Afghan authorities protested strongly and, according to the New York Times, Colonel  Mohammed Zahir, director of criminal investigations for the Kabul police, who arrived at the scene shortly after the raid began, said both victims had been shot in the head.

"It was murder," he told the New York Times.

"I have seen a lot of cases of violence, but I have not seen an incident where they kill civilians like this for no reason."

He and other witnesses described a scene of chaos in which gunfire went on for more than an hour, with coalition forces firing at the Afghan police and refusing to transport wounded detainees for medical care.

New Zealand has 71 SAS soldiers in Kabul attached to ISAF. It declined to disclose the nationalities of the soldiers involved, but said they opened fire in self defence.

New Zealand Defence Force confirmed that members of the SAS had been part of a joint Afghan National Security Force and ISAF operation that resulted in two men being killed.

When the patrol entered the factory they had identified themselves in both Pashto and English, the NZDF said.

After coming under small-arms fire from armed security guards, the patrol was forced to act in self defence, killing two of the guards. A third armed person was seen running into the building nearby, the NZDF said.

A large number of weapons, including the small-arms used by the men who fired on the patrol, were found during the operation, it said.

A high-ranking Afghan National Security Forces commander arrived and took command of the scene. He vouched for those detained in the operation and they were subsequently released, the NZDF said.

ISAF confirmed that proper protocols and rules of engagement were correctly followed, it said.

Afghan authorities and ISAF were now investigating the operation.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp declined to comment, with a spokesman saying it was an operational issue.

The factory housed Afghan Tiger Group, a logistic supply company servicing westerners.

The Times of London said Nawid Shah Sakhizada, son of the owner, was on the third floor of the office block when his bodyguard burst in shouting they were under attack.

They heard men speaking Pashto and assumed that they were Taleban targeting their business for trading with Western contractors.

"I really thought I was dead, I thought that was it," Sakhizada said.

He and his bodyguard went into the stairwell to try and talk to the forces but were greeted with heavy fire.

Sakhizada telephoned a friend at the Afghan intelligence service who called the police chief. Neither knew of the raid and when officials arrived they were held at a cordon for an hour.

The soldiers fired at them to stop them getting in, Sakhizada told the Times of London.

Two factory guards were killed. Mohammad Sadiq and Abdul Mobin were both married and had young children.

He said some of the soldiers were wearing uniforms, and others jeans. All had guns.

Sakhizada, who speaks English, told the Times of London he spoke to two New Zealand soldiers who led the raid, Sean and James.

"They asked me if I was the owner of the building and they said they were really sorry," Sakhizada said.

"But I say apology is is not enough. Tomorrow I will have to go to these men's families....

"I told them, 'You did not kill two cows. You killed two human beings'."

Sakhizada said that the soldiers asked him not to speak to journalists.

"I agreed. But then the next day I saw on the news NATO said they had killed two terrorists and arrested all these people. It's bulls***. Where is the evidence? Where are these people they arrested?"

He said his employees did not shoot at the coalition forces.

"I want from international forces one thing: give an explanation to the families of the two security guards who were killed for nothing," Sakhizada said.

"I want justice."

Since 2008 there have been protocols in place to give Afghan forces the right to lead raids in Kabul.

Afghan Interior Ministry official Zamerai Bashery said the protocols had not been followed but ISAF spokesman Brigadier-General Josef Blotz said they had.

"ISAF coordinated with Afghan security forces to move on an area of interest, so we followed the usual procedures and the operation was partnered," Blotz told a news conference.

- with NZPA