- Two Afghan soldiers also killed in 'misunderstanding' between forces
- Insider attacks have led to the death of 50 foreign troops in Afghanistan in 2012
An Afghan soldier turned his gun on American troops at a checkpoint in the country's east, in a shooting that marked both the continuance of a disturbing trend of insider attacks and the 2,000th U.S. troop death in the long-running war, officials said today.
The string of insider attacks is one of the greatest threats to NATO's mission in the country, endangering a partnership key to training up Afghan security forces and withdrawing international troops.
Saturday's shooting took place at an Afghan army checkpoint just outside a joint U.S.-Afghan base in Wardak province, said Shahidullah Shahid, a provincial government spokesman.
Tragedy: The latest insider attack has marked the 2,000th U.S. troop death in the long-running war in Afghanistan
'Initial reports indicate that a misunderstanding happened between Afghan army soldiers and American soldiers,' Shahid said.
At least two fellow members of Afghanistan's army were also among the dead.
He said investigators had been sent to the site to try to figure out what happened.
An Afghan official speaking on condition of anonymity said three Afghan soldiers were killed in the clash. It was not clear if the assailant was among the dead.
The attack happened about 5pm in Sayd Abad district, Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen Zahir Azimi said in an emailed statement.
He did not provide further details, saying he would wait for a report from investigators.
Cause for alarm: Insider attacks are taking a toll on the partnership between international and Afghan forces, prompting the U.S. military to restrict operations with small-sized Afghan units
NATO forces announced the assault early Sunday morning, saying only that it was 'suspected insider attack' and that a NATO service member and civilian contractor were killed.
One U.S. official confirmed that the service member killed was American, while another confirmed that the civilian was also American.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the nationality of the dead had not yet been formally announced.
Afghan soldiers and policemen - or militants in their uniforms - have gunned down more than 50 foreign troops so far this year, eroding the trust between coalition forces and their Afghan partners.
Disturbing trend: The so-called 'insider attacks,' which have killed about 50 foreign troops in 2012, are one of NATO's biggest challenges in Afghanistan
An equal number of Afghan policemen and soldiers also died in these attacks, giving them reason as well to be suspicious of possible infiltrators within their ranks.
The attacks are taking a toll on the partnership between international and Afghan forces, prompting the U.S. military to restrict operations with small-sized Afghan units earlier this month.
The close contact - with coalition forces working side by side with Afghan troops as advisers, mentors and trainers - is a key part of the U.S. strategy for preparing the Afghans to take the lead in security operations as the U.S. and other nations prepare to pull out their last combat troops at the end of 2014, just 27 months away.
The number of American military dead reflects an Associated Press count of those members of the armed services killed inside Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion on Oct. 7, 2001.
Video: NATO soldier, civilian, killed in Afghan insider attack
Replies
I remember the lament of a young soldier a couple of years ago. He was blogging how he really hated it when he had to take off his uniform for a Nato uniform...I don't know what branch he was in but he was adament, he wanted to be identified as an American soldier visually, not a 'world soldier'...Our men and women are sitting ducks and the enemy is everywhere...No wonder the #of suicides, and cases of PTSD is through the roof.
Romney...bring our boys home and support the ones that are there in every possible need...No "end date"...No wishy-washy-weak "policy that is beneficial to the enemy. Removal of Obama is the only real cure...
We sure don't need to keep our servicemen over there just to be sacrificed to the good feelings of the politicians. If they're going to be fighting we need totally new ROEs which permit them to follow their training and instincts, and we need US officers in charge who truly want to win the war and not just build a democracy to hand over to Islamists who will use it as another staging place against us. If we can't ascertain who is an enemy and who isn't we should never let them bring weapons within firing range of our troops. How I hope Romney appoints Allen West as Secretary of Defense and he cleans house at the Pentagon!
How can they make a US soldier take their US uniform off and wear a NATO uniform? The soldier pledged his allegience to the United States of America not to some friggin world order .... I would be adament to .... Just sayin....
Obama has changed the policies of the war! His policies are getting Americans killed!
Dakota Meyer (medal of honor winner) was being interviewed! He was asked what he thought about the killing of American soldiers by the Afgans they are training!
He said, he had worked with the Afgans! 5 of the Afgans told him "If you are willing to die for our country, we are too". Dakota said they did die!
He said since Obama gave a date when the war would end, the Taliban is taking charge! Even though they die the people listen to the Taliban now!
Obama is a fool! He is being advised by Muslims! He doesn't listen to the Generals, he only listens to the people right around him, Michelle Obama, Valarie Jarret, and his Muslim advisors!
I feel so bad for our soldiers. I can't even imagine being under the threat, that someone who you trust, will turn on you and kill you!
There is no way Mitt Romney will allow this to go on! Giving the enemy the same rights as Americans! This will be stopped! We have men in prison defending us, put there by the Obama administration! What side is Obama on?????
It's pretty obvious with the Muslim Advisors, Valerie Jarret and Huma Abbedin in the State Dept. not only which side he's on, but which side his entire government is being put on, isn't it? The number 3 person in the Department of Homeland Security is a Muslim, and the one who tried to make Texas quit all investigations, and let the people they appointed do all investigations and make decisions of who to prosecute or not for all Texas Law Enforcement. Not only in illegal immigration but all criminal investigations!
It is time to massacre the desert rats. No mercy. They cannot be trusted because they do not know how to be civilized and are controlled by the propaganda fed into their inbred brain rot minds from the day the are hatched.
Turning some mountains into glass parking lots sounds better each week doesn't it? It would even look nice to have the iranian mad man's home become one while we're at it! (Of course when he's there to admire it.)