Afghans aghast as US military chiefs blunder into ambush

Afghan commanders and local authorities have given grim accounts of a bungled launch of the United States-led offensive against al-Qaeda and Taliban forces south of Gardez.

The Americans blundered even in retreat, the Afghans said.

US military commanders are reluctant to release details of the attack - the largest offensive of the war by the coalition, which includes Australian SAS troops.

According to the Afghan sources, the deaths and injuries among the coalition and Afghan forces occurred when they were ambushed before the battle was due to begin outside the village of Shahikot at dawn on Saturday, local time.

The al-Qaeda forces launched a mortar and machine gun barrage that killed a US soldier and wounded dozens of Afghan and US troops.