The U.S. military headquarters in Kabul has lauded the Nangarhar mission as a rare success story in the stalemated war effort against the Taliban and other terrorist groups, citing recent success in winning some districts back from ISIS. | Jonathan Ernst - Pool/Getty Images Military investigating shooting in newly leaked Afghan combat video

U.S. commanders have launched an investigation into video footage that appears to show an American service member firing into the cab of a civilian truck as the two vehicles pass on a road in Afghanistan, an action that could have violated the military’s rules of engagement and may hamper the alliance with the Afghan government.

The shooting briefly appears during a gritty montage of combat footage allegedly recorded by U.S. troops battling the Islamic State’s Afghan affiliate. An anonymous user recently uploaded the video to YouTube under the title “Happy Few Ordnance Symphony,” then quickly removed it.

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"The amateur video posted on a public website gives us serious concern," the U.S. Central Command told POLITICO in a statement. "The video in question is not official, not authorized and does not represent the professionalism of the service members of U.S. Central Command.

"We are conducting an investigation into this video, and will take appropriate actions as a result of this investigation," it added.

POLITICO could not independently confirm the authenticity of the video.

The 3-minute, 9-second video doesn’t say where it was recorded, but the YouTube caption suggested it was shot in 2017. In the past year, U.S. troops have been engaged in intense combat with the Islamic State in Nangarhar Province, the group’s main Afghan stronghold, where teams of special operations advisers are fighting alongside elite Afghan troops to wrest key districts from the militants.

The troops in the video wear uniforms typical of U.S. special operations forces like the Green Berets, SEALs, Rangers and Marine Raiders, and are seen firing machine guns, grenade launchers, rockets, miniguns, mortars and calling in air or artillery strikes. The video, which is also set to music, is typical of the unauthorized combat montages that some troops create to share among themselves, often using footage shot from helmet-mounted video cameras.

But in addition to the rare glimpse of such shadowy operations up close, the brief scene of the truck shooting, 20 seconds in, sets it apart.

The clip in question shows a military vehicle approaching a truck with a white cab and black cargo cabin, of the type Afghans often call “Jingle trucks.” Military sources identified the first vehicle to POLITICO as a version of the M-ATV armored vehicle specially outfitted for special operations forces.

The clip is filmed from the perspective of an individual armed with a shotgun who is standing in a rear hatch of the armored vehicle.

As the armored vehicle comes alongside the truck, the individual lowers his military-style shotgun and appears to fire into the truck's driver-side window, causing the glass to shatter.

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The armored vehicle appears to continue on its way. It is not clear from the footage whether the driver was harmed. No recoil indicating the firing of the shotgun is clearly visible in the footage, nor is a shell or casing seen exiting the weapon.

Special operations veterans with experience in eastern Afghanistan, who reviewed the video at POLITICO’s request and agreed those depicted looked like special operations forces, said shooting a shotgun into the driver’s door of the passing truck raised potential red flags — possibly showing “an operator not doing the right thing."

But they were also cautious about drawing any firm conclusions without far more context. It was not possible to tell which unit the shooter was from, or anything else about why the event took place. In particular, they could not tell from the footage whether the shotgun shell was a “lethal” round or a less dangerous “non-lethal” one, such as one designed for breaching doors or windows.

“With the shotgun engagement, you figure it is a lethal round, as you are in combat, but from the video you cannot conclusively determine,” one former special operator with experience in Nangarhar said. “It could readily have been a beanbag, hammer, or other non-lethal round, as when it hits glass you are going to get a similar effect.”

Nevertheless, another former special operator, also with experience fighting in Nangarhar, said that his unit “never carried non-lethal rounds on mission” because it did not use shotguns for breaching purposes.

“It may have been an operator not doing the right thing and firing a non-lethal round just to be a dick,” the first veteran acknowledged. But he suggested other possible explanations.

If the special operations team was responding to an attack or threat from near the truck, he speculated, they might have been closing in on the vehicle from various directions in a larger movement not depicted in the brief video. More fire might have been exchanged than the video showed.

“You do not know if there were ground forces moving on the flanks,” he said. “It is hard for me to question the man on the ground.”

Still, Central Command, without addressing directly the shooting incident, expressed deep dismay about what the video appears to depict.

"I have reviewed the video and I am disappointed and also concerned that the American people, our Coalition partners, the Afghan government, and the Afghan people will believe that American service members are callous and indifferent to the horrors of war or the suffering of innocent people trapped in conflict," Army Gen. Joseph Votel, the head of Central Command added in a statement Wednesday. "I can assure you that this video does not represent the professionalism or humanity of the men and women of U.S. Central Command. We reject the unprofessional and callous message this video conveys."

The U.S. military headquarters in Kabul has lauded the Nangarhar mission as a rare success story in the stalemated war effort against the Taliban and other terrorist groups, citing recent success in winning some districts back from ISIS.

But it has come at a cost for the U.S. advisers. Of the 13 American troops killed by hostile action in Afghanistan last year, seven died in Nangarhar, and another Green Beret was killed in the province on Jan. 1.

Older and better trained than conventional troops, special operations personnel operate with more autonomy and in smaller numbers.

That less oversight has also led to periodic allegations of misconduct. In 2009, a top special operations admiral halted his troops' operations after a series of botched raids in eastern Afghanistan.

Those raids led to the deaths of local policemen and civilians, the wounding of a small girl, and protests from the Afghan government and U.S. embassy.

CLARIFICATION: The story has been updated to reflect the separate statements issued to POLITICO first by Central Command and then by its top officer, Gen. Joseph Votel.</s>A three-second video clip shows what may be a military service member shooting at an unmarked truck and its driver, who appears to be unarmed. There is no evidence at this time that the shooter is a US service member.

"The amateur video posted on a public website gives us serious concern," Col. John Thomas, a spokesman for US Central Command, which oversees US troops in Afghanistan, told CNN.

"We are conducting an investigation into this video, and will take appropriate actions as a result of this investigation," Thomas added.

Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of Central Command, issued a statement condemning the video.

"I can assure you that this video does not represent the professionalism or humanity of the men and women of US Central Command. We reject the unprofessional and callous message this video conveys," Votel said. The video clip is part of a larger montage of video. CNN could not verify who originally posted the video online. The longer video was posted on a Facebook page and has since been deleted but has been reposted on other sites The clip shows an apparent military vehicle driving past the civilian truck. While passing, what appears to be a shotgun is fired from the military vehicle into the driver's side window of the truck. Only the arm and gloved hands of the shooter are visible in the short clip. The uniform of the shooter is not clearly visible, making his country of origin difficult to determine. Other clips show what are purported to be US Special Operations Forces firing different weapons in various locales in what appears to be Afghanistan. Most of the video does not appear to show combat and it is not obvious where the video was taken or at what time.</s>The Pentagon said Thursday it had opened an investigation after a video posted online appears to show an American soldier firing a shotgun at the driver of a civilian truck in Afghanistan.

The incident is nestled within a three-minute video, overdubbed with hip-hop music, that is a compilation of macho, helmet-cam footage showing US special operations forces at work in Afghanistan.

One brief clip amid the footage shows an armored vehicle driving past a truck.

The arms of a person wearing gloves and camouflage can be seen pointing a shotgun at the cab. The driver's side window then shatters.

However, the short clip does not show what happened to the driver.

"The amateur video posted on a public website gives us serious concern," the US military's Central Command said in a statement.

"The video in question is not official, not authorized and does not represent the professionalism of the service members of US Central Command. We are conducting an investigation into this video, and will take appropriate actions as a result of this investigation."

According to Politico, the video was posted on YouTube and was called "Happy Few Ordnance Symphony."

It was quickly taken down but can still be found online at other sites.

Centcom chief General Joe Votel said he had seen the video.

"I am disappointed and also concerned that the American people, our coalition partners, the Afghan government and the Afghan people will believe that American service members are callous and indifferent to the horrors of war or the suffering of innocent people trapped in conflict," Votel said in a statement.

"This video does not represent the professionalism or humanity of the men and women of US Central Command. We reject the unprofessional and callous message this video conveys."

Other sequences in the video show first-person footage of machine gunners raking buildings and hillsides with gunfire, and commandos launching mortars and small rockets.

One gunner has a "Trump" sticker attached to his gun turret, indicating the video was shot in the past year.</s>US Central Command has started an investigation into video footage that purportedly shows an American soldier firing into the cab of a civilian truck in Afghanistan, Politico reported.

The original video entitled "Happy Few Ordnance Symphony" was recently uploaded on YouTube by an anonymous user and then quickly removed. According to Politico, the video contained footage allegedly captured by US troops fighting Daesh’s affiliate in Afghanistan.

The controversial shooting portion of the video lasts only a few seconds and shows an armored military vehicle passing a civilian truck. The clip, apparently recorded on a helmet camera, shows a shotgun being pointed at the truck cabin and the window on the driver’s side being shattered as if it had been shot. The armored vehicle appears to continue its way and it is not clear from the video whether the driver was harmed.

"The amateur video posted on a public website gives us serious concern," the US Central Command told Politico in a statement, stressing that the video is "not official" and "not authorized."

US Central Command also told Politico said an investigation into this video is underway, and "appropriate actions" will be taken as a result of this probe.

READ MORE: Eastern Afghanistan Proving Deadliest Region for US Forces Worldwide

There have been no direct comments on the video from Pentagon officials, but Head of Central Command Joseph Votel said, "I have reviewed the video and I am disappointed and also concerned that the American people, our Coalition partners, the Afghan government, and the Afghan people will believe that American service members are callous and indifferent to the horrors of war or the suffering of innocent people trapped in conflict."

Politico said it could not independently confirm the authenticity of the footage. The YouTube caption suggested that the video was shot in 2017. According to Politico, over the past year, US troops have been engaged in fighting Daesh militants in Nangarhar Province.</s>A YouTube clip purportedly showing a US commando in Afghanistan firing a shotgun at the window of a civilian truck with the driver inside has caused concern and dismay at the top level of the US military.

The original video, titled ‘Happy Few Ordnance Symphony,’ was a montage of combat footage from 2017, and featured the clip of a soldier firing at the cab window of a civilian truck, according to a Politico report. It was not authorized by the US Central Command and was quickly removed from the video-sharing site.

The controversial part lasts just a few seconds and shows an armored military vehicle, possibly an M-ATV equipped for special operations troops, passing a slow-moving civilian vehicle known in Afghanistan as a “jingle truck.”

Footage apparently recorded on a helmet camera shows a military-style shotgun being pointed at the truck cabin, and the window on the driver’s side being shattered as it if had been shot. The video is set to music and offers no audial cues for the clip.

Politico cites special operations veterans as saying that it was difficult to judge what was shown in the video without knowing its context, but one said it was possibly “an operator not doing the right thing and firing a non-lethal round just to be a dick.”

Pentagon officials would not directly comment on the incident shown in the footage, but Head of Central Command Gen. Joseph Votel expressed dismay about the video.

“I have reviewed the video and I am disappointed and also concerned that the American people, our coalition partners, the Afghan government, and the Afghan people will believe that American service members are callous and indifferent to the horrors of war or the suffering of innocent people trapped in conflict,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

“I can assure you that this video does not represent the professionalism or humanity of the men and women of US Central Command. We reject the unprofessional and callous message this video conveys.”

US Central Command told Politico that a probe had been launched, promising to take “appropriate actions as a result of this investigation."

Other clips that featured in the now-deleted montage reportedly showed troops wearing uniforms of US special operations forces, including the Green Berets, SEALs, Rangers and Marine Raiders, firing various weapons and calling in air or artillery strikes. Similar amateur videos are often made by US troops to share among the military community.

Politico says the footage may have been shot in Nangarhar province, where US commandos were involved in fighting in 2017 against militant groups that pledge allegiance to the terrorist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS).</s>WASHINGTON (AP) ��� The U.S. military said Thursday that it is investigating a video posted on the internet showing what appears to be a U.S. service member shooting at a civilian truck while driving in Afghanistan.

A U.S. official said the weapons and equipment in the YouTube video suggest it could involve U.S. special operations forces and was likely taken last March. The official spoke anonymously to discuss details of the ongoing investigation.

In a blunt reaction, Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, said he reviewed the video, adding, "I am disappointed and also concerned that the American people, our Coalition partners, the Afghan government and the Afghan people will believe that American service members are callous and indifferent to the horrors of war or the suffering of innocent people trapped in conflict."

Votel said he rejects the "unprofessional and callous message this video conveys."

The video shows someone firing a shotgun at the door of a truck as they pass it on a snowbank-lined road. The driver of the truck can be seen as his window appears to be shattered by the shot. It's not clear if the driver or anyone else was injured. The video was first reported by Politico.

Officials said they are still trying to determine the details of the shooting and other portions of the video that depict the use of military-style weapons.

Central Command spokesman Col. John Thomas said the video "gives us serious concern." He said officials will take appropriate action.</s>
• Politico - Military investigating shooting in newly leaked Afghan combat video*... another former special operator, also with experience fighting in Nangarhar, said that his unit "never carried non-lethal rounds on mission" because it did not use shotguns for breaching purposes. ...*
• Business Insider - A US investigation is underway after footage of a soldier firing into what appears to be a civilian truck surfaces online

A military truck passes a civilian truck on a paved road at normal traveling speed. A soldier fires directly and intentionally at the driver of the civilian truck without any discernible reason.This is the relevant two second long cut (repeated 5 times) from a private video mix of scenes taken during the last few months in Afghanistan.The whole video is 3:09 minutes long and mostly a mashup of juvenile behaving soldiers wasting lots of ammunition on invisible entities in the Afghan landscape. The scene above is from 19 to 21 seconds into the video. Detailed screenshots are below. The whole clip was available on Youtube on January 7. The account which originally posted it and the original video have since been deleted.There were a total of two videos under the account. The first, relevant one, had the original title:under the URL "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlNoiW94JdE". The original description of the video was:A request to that URL now brings up a standard Youtube text: "This video is no longer available because the uploader has closed their YouTube account."A copy of that video is also available under the Facebook account of Engage Armament LLC with a "courtesy of Happy Few" link to the Facebook account https://www.facebook.com/happyfewco/ . The copy was posted on January 4 and has currently 2,823,190 "views" and over 30,600 "likes". Another copy is available under the Facebook account of Almanaque Militar posted on January 7 with currently 5.7k "views". That post also links back to the Happy Few Co Facebook account. Several other sides seem to have posted copies of the same video.The second video of Happy Few Company on Youtube was the one minute long "Happy Few Year Special Operations in Afghanistan Doing Work Helmet Cam Combat Footage" under the URL "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzi61iPdCko". It also no longer available.It is the first video that includes the truck scene.At 19 sec:The man wearing the camera on the left side of his helmet rides on top of a military truck (likely a M-ATV ). On the left is an open turret mounted on the truck, on the right we see the part of the man holding a rifle M1014 semi-automatic, 12-gauge shotgun with an effective range of 36.5 meters. He wears black gloves. The military truck he is riding on quickly overtakes a civilian white truck on a paved road. The speed of the military truck is an estimated 70 km/h (45 mph), the white truck is driving at some 60 km/h (37 mph). It behaves normally sticking to the right side of the road. Notice that the white truck's windows are undamaged. On the upper right above the white truck we see some red and blue structure.At 20 sec:The military truck is further overtaking the white truck. The driver of the white truck is visible. He has his left hand on the steering wheel and seems to look straight ahead. The right hand is not visible. The gun points directly at the driver.A split second later:The window of the white truck is smashed right in the line where the gun was just pointed and the driver inside of the truck.Another split second later:The smashed window has crumbled further. The military truck overtakes the white truck.At 21 seconds:The military truck has overtaken the white truck. The shooter has moved the shotgun to the left and upwards. The white truck has continued on its course. The red-blue structure behind it is visible. It is a two story building with the first story painted white and the second story with red columns and blue walls (or windows?). The peculiar building will help to identify the location of the incident.Given the speed of the truck the shot driver -if not outright killed- will have had little chance to bring it to a secure halt.When one watches the scene documented in the pictures above a gun shot is heard and the weapon in the picture recoils in the very moment the white truck's window smashes. A puff of gun smoke is visible.(Added side remark - a later scene in the video shows this ridiculous Cafepress sticker inside of the M-ATV turret.)The uploader of the video on Youtube used the moniker Happy Few Company. An Instagram account under the Happy Few Company moniker still has the video though it is split into four parts. It was uploaded on December 28, 2017 and includes the white truck scene.The top page of the account (https://www.instagram.com/happyfewcompany/) describes the owner as:The soldier in the official photo in the second row right is deceased. According to the Washington Post:This might give a hint in the group involved in the video production. (h/t Andreas in comments)The Facebook account with a similar Happy Few moniker is available but the video is not, or no longer, posted on that page.On the Facebook page we find a link to HappyFewCo.com which is a shopping site "under construction". The domain was anonymously registered at Twocows Domains Inc on December 16 2017. A @happyfewco Twitter account was registered in December 2017 but has had no interaction.There is no direct information on who is behind the Happy Few Company accounts or who took the scenes mashed up in that video. The footage seems to be genuine. The relevant civil and military authorities should have no problem to find out who the poster of the original video is. That person can surely help to identify the original videographer(s) and from there the place and time of the incident and the gunman in question. This picture of an unknown soldier, which is the end scene of the video, might also help to identify the culprit. It also gives a (sarcastic) hint of his motive.The issue above has now been reported on by several media outlets. According to these CENTCOM is investigating the case. General Votel gave a statement and Secretary of Defense Mattis has been informed of the case.Current media reports:For the record :The original credit for the above piece goes to M.H.Arsali . I only wrote about the issue after I checked a youtube link I had bookmarked a day or two earlier and found that the bookmarked video had been deleted. That was the starting point of my research. I did not remember though where I had picked up that link in the first place. It now seem that it was from a January 6 tweet by M.H.Arsali which someone had retweeted into my timeline.</s>A recent video mashup provided by some U.S. Special Force soldiers in Afghanistan seems to show evidence of a warcrime.

A military truck passes a civilian truck on a paved road at normal traveling speed. A soldier fires directly and intentionally at the driver of the civilian truck without any discernible reason.

This is the relevant two second long cut (repeated 5 times) from a private video mix of scenes taken during the last few months in Afghanistan.

The whole video is 3:09 minutes long and mostly a mashup of juvenile behaving soldiers wasting lots of ammunition on invisible entities in the Afghan landscape. The scene above is from 19 to 21 seconds into the video. Detailed screenshots are below. The whole clip was available on Youtube on January 7. The account which originally posted it and the original video have since been deleted.

There were a total of two videos under the account. The first, relevant one, had the original title:

under the URL "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlNoiW94JdE". The original description of the video was:

A request to that URL now brings up a standard Youtube text: "This video is no longer available because the uploader has closed their YouTube account."

A copy of that video is also available under the Facebook account of Engage Armament LLC with a "courtesy of Happy Few" link to the Facebook account https://www.facebook.com/happyfewco/. The copy was posted on January 4 and has currently 2,823,190 "views" and over 30,600 "likes". Another copy is available under the Facebook account of Almanaque Militar posted on January 7 with currently 5.7k "views". That post also links back to the Happy Few Co Facebook account. Several other sides seem to have posted copies of the same video.

The second video of Happy Few Company on Youtube was the one minute long "Happy Few Year Special Operations in Afghanistan Doing Work Helmet Cam Combat Footage" under the URL "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzi61iPdCko". It also no longer available.

Unlisted copies of both videos have now been uploaded here and here.

It is the first video that includes the truck scene.

The man wearing the camera on the left side of his helmet rides on top of a military truck (likely a M-ATV). On the left is an open turret mounted on the truck, on the right we see the part of the man holding a rifle M1014 semi-automatic, 12-gauge shotgun with an effective range of 36.5 meters. He wears black gloves. The military truck he is riding on quickly overtakes a civilian white truck on a paved road. The speed of the military truck is an estimated 70 km/h (45 mph), the white truck is driving at some 60 km/h (37 mph). It behaves normally sticking to the right side of the road. Notice that the white truck's windows are undamaged. On the upper right above the white truck we see some red and blue structure.

The military truck is further overtaking the white truck. The driver of the white truck is visible. He has his left hand on the steering wheel and seems to look straight ahead. The right hand is not visible. The gun points directly at the driver.

The window of the white truck is smashed right in the line where the gun was just pointed and the driver inside of the truck.

Another split second later:

The smashed window has crumbled further. The military truck overtakes the white truck.

The military truck has overtaken the white truck. The shooter has moved the shotgun to the left and upwards. The white truck has continued on its course. The red-blue structure behind it is visible. It is a two story building with the first story painted white and the second story with red columns and blue walls (or windows?). The peculiar building will help to identify the location of the incident.

Here the video makes a hard cut to unrelated scenes. Given the speed of the truck the shot driver -if not outright killed- will have had little chance to bring it to a secure halt.

When one watches the scene documented in the pictures above a gun shot is heard and the weapon in the picture recoils in the very moment the white truck's window smashes. A puff of gun smoke is visible. It seems obvious that this was a hit-to-kill shot by the man wearing the camera on the civilian driver of the white truck.

The uploader of the video on Youtube used the moniker Happy Few Company. An Instagram account under the Happy Few Company moniker still has the video though it is split into four parts. It was uploaded on December 28, 2017 and includes the white truck scene.

The top page of the account (https://www.instagram.com/happyfewcompany/) describes the owner as:

The soldier in the official photo in the second row right is deceased. According to the Washington Post:

This might give a hint in the group involved in the video production. (h/t Andreas in comments)

The Facebook account with a similar Happy Few moniker is available but the video is not, or no longer, posted on that page.

On the Facebook page we find a link to HappyFewCo.com which is a shopping site "under construction". The domain was anonymously registered at Twocows Domains Inc on December 16 2017. A @happyfewco Twitter account was registered in December 2017 but has had no interaction.

There is no direct information on who is behind the Happy Few Company accounts or who took the scenes mashed up in that video. The footage seems to be genuine. The relevant civil and military authorities should have no problem to find out who the poster of the original video is. That person can surely help to identify the original videographer(s) and from there the place and time of the incident and the gunman in question. This picture of an unknown soldier, which is the end scene of the video, might also help to identify the culprit. It also gives a (sarcastic) hint of his motive.

Posted by b on January 9, 2018 at 06:58 AM | Permalink</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military is investigating a video posted on an Internet website showing what appears to be a U.S. service member shooting at a civilian truck while driving in Afghanistan.

A U.S. official says the weapons and equipment in the video suggest it could involve U.S. special operations forces and was likely taken last March. The official spoke anonymously to discuss details of the ongoing investigation.

U.S. Central Command says the video posted on YouTube triggered serious concerns. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of the command, says he is disappointed in the video, and is concerned that the American people and the Afghans will believe U.S. troops "are callous and indifferent" to the suffering of innocent people.

Command spokesman Col. John Thomas says officials will take appropriate action.</s>The U.S. military is investigating a shooting in Afghanistan based on a video posted to the Internet showing what appears to be a U.S. service member firing his weapon into a civilian truck.

It’s unclear from the footage if any Afghan civilians were hurt in the shooting, which was first reported by Politico.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has been briefed about the investigation, Fox News has been told.

The video compilation appears to show U.S. special operations forces engaged in combat. The portion of the video drawing scrutiny takes place about 20 seconds into the 3-minute clip.

In a statement provided to Fox News, the head of U.S. forces in the Middle East and Afghanistan condemned the video, saying it sends a “callous message” to the world.

"I have reviewed the video and I am disappointed and also concerned that the American people, our Coalition partners, the Afghan government, and the Afghan people will believe that American service members are callous and indifferent to the horrors of war or the suffering of innocent people trapped in conflict," said Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command.

"I can assure you that this video does not represent the professionalism or humanity of the men and women of U.S. Central Command. We reject the unprofessional and callous message this video conveys."
The United States Central Command launches an investigation into a video posted on YouTube which appears to show a U.S. service member firing on civilians inside a truck on a road in Afghanistan. The montage video, titled "Happy Few Ordnance Symphony", has since been removed.