By Duncan Garner
Prime Minister John Key says he cannot rule out that the injured Kiwi SAS soldiers were victims of friendly fire - but it is unlikely.
Mr Key has also rejected claims that the Afghan government has apologised for the incident last week.
The confusion comes as pictures emerge showing the scale of destruction in the hotel at the centre of the Taliban attack.
The ABC was given exclusive access to look at the damage and it also obtained police video of the destruction inside.
It has been reported the two Kiwi SAS soldiers injured in the attack were the victims of friendly fire from Afghan police, the Prime Minister says it is unlikely.
“It is not the belief of the New Zealand defence force that the injured soldier was injured as the result of friendly fire, it was possible but that’s not the likely source.
But a BBC journalist in Kabul says his police sources in the country are sure it was friendly fire that injured the Kiwis.
“A day after the attack I met with senior police officials and they told me one of their officers opened fire and mistakenly hit a NZ solider injuring him,” BBC correspondent Bilal Sarwary says.
The same journalist has also said the Afghani Interior Ministry apologised to the New Zealand soldiers, Mr Key says he knows of no such thing happening.
“There has been no official apology received,” says Mr Key.
But Mr Sarwary is adamant the soldier apologized.
“The solider was very upset and the soldiers have apologised both inside the hotel and at a higher level the interior ministry of Afghanistan,” says Mr Sarwary.
The chief of the New Zealand Defence Forces Rhys Jones says:
“What I can categorically state is that the defence force has not received any apology from Afghan authorities,” he said in a statement.
The SAS are meant to be in mentoring roles to the Afghani police, meaning we don't lead the raids.
Labour says it is clear we are doing more than that.
So are the Afghani forces up to it, given the massive troop withdrawals happening shortly?
US President Barack Obama has already confirmed 10,000 US troops will leave Afghanistan this year, and the Canadians and the British have also announced big withdrawals too.
New Zealand's SAS troops were due to finish this year too but Mr Key extended them through to next April. He says there are no plans to have them stay on longer.
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