Earlier deaths by friendly fire
The most high-profile friendly fire incident was the 2004 death of Pat Tillman, who gave up an NFL contract to join the Army's Rangers force. He was awarded the Silver Star, the military's third-highest combat decoration, after the Army said he was killed leading a counterattack in Afghanistan. Later, the Army admitted he had been shot accidentally by his comrades.
Among others:
April 2002: Four Canadian service members were killed and eight wounded when a U.S. Air National Guard pilot dropped a 500-pound bomb on a group of Canadian troops conducting a nighttime training exercise.
August 2007: Three British soldiers were killed when a U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle mistakenly struck their position with a 500-pound bomb during a firefight with Taliban fighters.
July 2008: Nine British soldiers were wounded when a British Apache attack helicopter mistakenly fired on them during a firefight with Taliban fighters.
November 2011: NATO helicopters attacked a military checkpoint in northwest Pakistan, killing 24 Pakistani soldiers. The attack wounded 13 others in the volatile region bordering Afghanistan.
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