US rescuers may have killed aid worker

That evidence,and subsequent interviews with the personnel involved,suggests that Linda could have died as a result of a grenade detonated by the task force during the assault, Cameron told a news conference at his Downing Street office. However,this is not certain,and a full US-UK investigation will now be launched, he added.

Cameron said he took full responsibility for authorising the operation to rescue the aid worker. He said intelligence at the time suggested Norgrove was about to be passed up the terrorist chain of command,and hence it had been urgent to act.

Cameron also said it was right that US forces had attempted the rescue as Norgrove was being held in an area where military operations were under US control.

We were clear that Lindas life was in grave danger and the operation offered the best chance of saving her life, he said.

My thoughts and the thoughts of the whole country are with them as they come to terms with the death of their daughter and this deeply distressing development… I want to assure Mr and Mrs Norgrove that I will do everything… to establish the full facts and give them certainty about how their daughter died, he said.

Lt Col John Dorrian,a spokesman at the NATO headquarters in Kabul,said the rescue mission leader saw a footage of the raid,talked with team members,and decided it was not conclusive what the cause of her death was. The rescue mission leader spoke with US and NATO commander in Afghanistan Gen David Petraeus,who requested an investigation,Dorrian said. The probe will be led by US Central Command.

An investigation has now been initiated to find out what actually happened, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels.