Massoud Barzani's brother was wounded in the attack

An American warplane has bombed a Kurdish convoy in northern Iraq which had been joined by members of US special forces, killing several people.

The BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson, who was travelling with the convoy, says he counted at least 10 bodies and several others were wounded.

It is the latest in a series of "friendly fire" incidents involving coalition forces during the Iraqi conflict.

Kurdish military commander Wajy Barzani, brother of the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), was wounded in the attack.

The US military acknowledged that coalition aircraft were conducting close air support at the time of the incident, and said it was investigating the incident.

'Scene from hell'

The incident occurred about 30 miles (48km) south east of Mosul, as the convoy was heading towards the town of Diberjan, a town recently captured by the Kurdish forces from Iraqi soldiers.

Mr Simpson said the convoy had joined up with another US special forces group of vehicles, and all parties had just got out of their vehicles, when a US special forces soldier called in an air strike after spotting an Iraqi tank in the distance.

Our correspondent, who suffered minor injuries in the attack, said a bomb was droppe from a US plane only 10 to 12 feet (about four metres) from where he was standing.

He described a "scene from hell", with all the vehicles in the convoy on fire and bodies - American and Kurdish - lying around and others burning to death right in front of him.

Those who survived suffered only light shrapnel injuries and perforated eardrums.

But despite the efforts of US special forces' medics, Mr Simpson's translator died from injuries caused by a large piece of shrapnel which hit him in the lower legs.

Kurdish forces, backed by the US, are advancing south from their self-ruled enclave in northern Iraq on the cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, held by Saddam Hussein's forces.