- The US is investigating video footage that shows a soldier firing a shotgun through the window of a possible civilian truck.
- US Central Command is looking into whether the troops violated the rules of engagement.
US Central Command is launching an investigation to see whether its troops violated the rules of engagement after video footage of what appeared to be a service member firing into a civilian truck surfaced online.
The video, first reported by Politico, contains a compilation of wartime clips it says were captured in Afghanistan. The clips are synced to rapper Kendrick Lamar's song, "Humble." An anonymous user reportedly uploaded the video, titled "Happy Few Ordnance Symphony," and was said to have quickly removed it from YouTube.
The scene in question begins with the service member riding in an armored vehicle that passes a truck. The service member, who already had a shotgun-type weapon trained at the driver's side of the truck, fires a round through the driver's window.
Based on the footage, it was not clear whether the driver was hit, or if the rounds were non-lethal, special operations veterans who examined the footage said in the report. Various rounds, such as a bean-bag type round, are in circulation in the military to pacify crowds or breach doors and windows.
The context of the clip, which lasts only about one second during the 3:09 minute montage, was not clear, given the absence of related footage before and after the shooting.
"The amateur video posted on a public website gives us serious concern," US Central Command commander Gen. Joseph Votel said in a statement to Politico. "The video in question is not official, not authorized and does not represent the professionalism of the service members of US Central Command."
Votel added that CENTCOM "will take appropriate actions as a result of this investigation."
Scenes from the montage also reveal that the service members may have been special operations forces or embedded with Afghan commandos, based on unit patches, relaxed uniform standards, and the wide range of weapons they had at their disposal — including Javelin anti-tank missile launchers and rotary machine guns.
Similar montages of wartime scenes have come under scrutiny. In the past, both private military companies and US troops have been criticized for firing their weapons indiscriminately in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I can assure you that this video does not represent the professionalism or humanity of the men and women of US Central Command," Votel continued. "We reject the unprofessional and callous message this video conveys."
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