Reporter shot by soldier after he was mistaken for suicide bomber

American soldiers killed a reporter in southern Afghanistan during a botched operation to retake control of a compound overrun by insurgents, US officials admitted last night.

Nato’s International Security Assistance Force said troops killed Omed Khpulwak in “a case of mistaken identity” during an operation in Oruzgan province six weeks ago.

A declassified summary of the investigation suggested Mr Khpulwak was killed because a US soldier assumed he was a suicide bomber.

“He observed a young adult male with a beard with something clenched in one of his fists and reaching for something on his person with his other hand,” the summary said.

“The soldier assessed the actions as those of a suicide bomber. He shot the individual, killing him. However, the subsequent investigation confirmed Mr Khpulwak was unarmed.”

Nato’s findings echo an earlier independent investigation which found that the suicide bombers were already dead by the time Mr Khpulwak, 25, was shot at close range.

Mr Khpulwak – who worked for the BBC Pashtu service and also contributed to The Scotsman – survived the initial attack by hiding in a bathroom when a Taleban suicide squad burst into his office in Tirin Kot.