Afghanistan deaths: Inquest due for Royal Marine and Army medic
Afghanistan deaths: Afghan man shot marine and medic, inquest told
(about 1 hour later)
An inquest into the deaths of two British soldiers killed in a suspected insider attack by an off-duty Afghan policeman is due to open.
Marines have told an inquest how a young Afghan man fired round after round of bullets at them, killing two of their UK military comrades.
Northern Irish medic Cpl Channing Day, and Cpl David O'Connor, of 40 Commando, from Hampshire, died in a gun battle in Helmand province last year.
Northern Irish medic Cpl Channing Day, and Cpl David O'Connor, of 40 Commando, from Hampshire, died after the gun battle in Helmand province last year.
An Afghan man, who was not part of their patrol, also died.
Oxford Coroner's Court heard that both died from gunshot wounds to the chest.
An initial Ministry of Defence report suggested the soldiers were not killed by British forces.
Marine Rees said the patrol came under fire as they escorted Cpl Day, who was to teach first aid to Afghan police.
Cpl O'Connor, 27, and Cpl Day, 25, of 3 Medical Regiment, were on patrol near the village of Char Kutsa, in the Nahr-e Saraj district when they came under fire and were fatally injured.
He described in a statement how a lot of dirt was churned up as the Afghan man, whom he said was under 18 and not wearing a uniform, began firing bullets.
An inquest at Oxford Coroners' Court, opening at 10:00 BST, will seek to determine the exact circumstances surrounding their deaths.
As the man moved towards a wall, Marine Rees fired three shots back at him, he said.
'Terrible tragedy'
Another unnamed marine said the gunman "sprayed his weapon from side to side in our general direction".
Immediately after the incident on 23 October last year, Afghan police claimed that both soldiers were shot by their own comrades.
After a comrade called that one of them had been hit, the marine said in his statement that he fired about 20 rounds at the gunman who was 15ft (4.6m) away.
But the Ministry of Defence denied this and Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond confirmed his staff were looking into the possibility the soldiers were shot by a policeman.
"It all happened very quickly," he said, and was over in a couple of minutes.
After an initial review of the scene, Nato specialists and Afghan government representatives said the pair had not been not killed by British forces.
The Afghan man also died.
Instead, they are believed to have died at the hands of what the MoD suggested was "a third party or parties whose identities have yet to be established but who are not UK personnel".
Immediately after the incident near the village of Char Kutsa, in the Nahr-e Saraj district on 23 October last year, Afghan police claimed that both UK personnel had been shot by their own comrades.
Speaking soon after the deaths, Mr Hammond called the incident a "terrible tragedy".
But the Ministry of Defence denied this and Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond confirmed his staff were looking into the possibility they were shot by a policeman.
However, asked if it had been another "green on blue" attack - in which Afghans have turned on their International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) partners - Mr Hammond said: "There is a possibility that that is what has happened but it is not clear at this stage who the shooter actually was."
After an initial review of the scene, Nato specialists and Afghan government representatives said the pair had not been killed by UK forces.
If confirmed, it would mean Cpl Day was the first female victim of such an attack.
Instead, they were believed to have died at the hands of what the MoD suggested was "a third party or parties whose identities have yet to be established but who are not UK personnel".
Cpl Day, who was from Comber in County Down, joined the Army in 2005 and was deployed to Afghanistan less than a month before she became the third female British soldier to be killed there since 2001.
Cpl Day, 25, who was from Comber in County Down, joined the Army in 2005 and was deployed to Afghanistan less than a month before she became the UK's third female soldier to be killed there since 2001.
In a statement released on behalf of Cpl Day's family, her sister Lauren said: "There no words to describe our deepest sadness, we are in a state of disbelief and would ask that we are given time and privacy to deal with this.
Cpl O'Connor, 27, had been in Afghanistan since the end of the previous month and was serving as a section commander in the acting rank of corporal.
"Channing loved the Army - if there was one thing she knew growing up, it was that she wanted to be a soldier.
"She has done more in her 25 years than most women her age and we are so very proud of everything she has achieved."
Cpl O'Connor had been in Afghanistan since the end of the previous month and was serving as a section commander in the acting rank of corporal.
A statement released by Cpl O'Connor's family at the time said: "David's family and friends are greatly saddened by his loss and hope to be left to grieve privately."
Lt Col Matt Jackson, his commanding officer, said Cpl O'Connor "was one of the best".
Soon after their deaths, coffins bearing the two soldiers' bodies were flown into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
