An Afghan soldier was responsible for the killing of two American troops a day earlier, an official told AFP Tuesday, in what appears to be the latest example of an insider attack.

The US military on Monday said two of its troops had been killed in action in Afghanistan, but did not provide any additional details, pending notification of next of kin.

Mohammad Qasam, a deputy police chief in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan, said the attack took place at an Afghan army base during a visit by US forces.

"Initial information was two US forces have been killed and one more wounded," Qasam said.

In a statement to AFP, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said an Afghan soldier, not an infiltrator, had killed the two.

"A patriotic Afghan soldier opened fire on them and killed them" in the attack in Kandahar, Mujahid said.

Bahir Ahmadi, the Kandahar governor's spokesman, also said the incident occurred at an Afghan army base.

On July 17, an Afghan army soldier shot and killed an influential Afghan army colonel while he was conducting a security assessment in Ghazni province.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for that killing.

Insider attacks, sometimes referred to as "green on green," are a constant threat in Afghanistan for international and Afghan forces alike. </s> An Afghan soldier has shot and killed two U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar, officials say.The soldier who turned his gun on the Americans was wounded during the attack and is now in custody, said the spokesman, Ahmad Sadiq.The U.S. military said on July 29 that two of its service members were killed in Afghanistan, but provided no details.Speaking on condition of anonymity, U.S. officials said that they had died in a so-called insider attack.In such attacks, sometimes referred to as "green-on-blue," Afghan forces turn their weapons on international soldiers with whom they are working.At least 11 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of the year.The United States has about 14,000 troops in the country as part of a 23,000-strong NATO-led mission that is training and assisting the Afghan government's security forces in their fight against Taliban militants and other extremist groups. </s> KABUL, Afghanistan — Two American service members were shot dead and a third wounded Monday in a rare “insider” attack when an Afghan soldier opened fire on a group of American forces at a military base in a conflict-torn region of southern Kandahar province, Afghan defense and police officials said Tuesday.

U.S. military officials here confirmed that two American troops had been killed but did not provide any details or identify the victims, saying they needed to wait until their families were notified. A statement from the U.S. Resolute Support mission here said only that two service members had died.

According to Afghan officials, the shooter was wounded in return fire and taken into Afghan military custody. It was the first known incident, also known as a “green on blue” attack, since November, when Brent Taylor, a major in the Utah National Guard and the mayor of a town in Utah, was killed by an Afghan soldier in Kabul.

A spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry, Fawad Aman, confirmed that the attack had occurred on an army base in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar. “The soldier who fired on them has been wounded in a subsequent firing,” he said in a brief telephone interview early Tuesday.

A police official in Shah Wali Kot also confirmed that the incident had taken place, according to a BBC News report. Other media outlets reported that American military officials in the U.S. had confirmed the basic facts, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

According to one media report, members of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Brigade Combat team, 82nd Airborne Division, posted a Facebook tribute to their slain comrades but did not identify them.

“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the loss of two Paratroopers from the Brigade during combat operations,” the Facebook post read.

No information was immediately available about the shooter except that he was an Afghan army soldier. In past “green on blue” incidents, the attackers have included both bona fide Afghan troops who were angry, disgruntled or influenced by Taliban propaganda, and insurgent infiltrators who enlisted to attack and sabotage foreign forces.

Insider attacks have been a problem for American forces in Afghanistan over the past decade, peaking in 2012 with several high-profile incidents. But they declined significantly after U.S. military officials began placing “guardian angel” forces in the battlefield, Afghan security officials improved vetting of recruits, and a major U.S. troop drawdown began in 2014.

A total of 2,400 U.S. troops have been killed in the 18-year conflict.

In August 2014, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Harold Greene was shot dead while visiting the main Afghan military academy in Kabul. He was the highest-ranking U.S. military officer to be killed in the Afghan war. A uniformed Afghan soldier opened fire on Greene and a group of visiting U.S. and European military officials, wounding 11 people. His motive was not known, but the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

In October, 2018, an attacker in an Afghan army uniform opened fire on a group of Afghan and U.S. military officials who were meeting in Kandahar city, killing a senior Afghan general and two other Afghan officials. The senior U.S. military commander, Gen. Austin Scott Miller, was there at the time but was unharmed.

The United States currently has about 14,000 troops deployed to Afghanistan in a mission to train, advise and assist Afghan security forces in their fight against Taliban insurgents. They also provide combat air support for Afghan forces in the battlefield.

President Trump has said he wants to reduce their numbers significantly, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this week that Trump had directed him to start withdrawing the rest of the troops before the 2020 U.S. election.

The Taliban insurgents have intensified their attacks in recent months, as peace negotiations with U.S. officials have continued in Qatar. The country is especially jittery with the presidential election campaign beginning this week amid fears of more insurgent violence against candidates and voters.

On Sunday, President Ashraf Ghani’s top running mate, former national intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh, narrowing escaped being killed when attackers besieged his political office in Kabul. The attack, which began with a massive suicide bomb in a vehicle, turned into a six-hour gun battle with heavily armed attackers who killed 20 people and injured 50 more.
• Trump wants forces reduced in Afghanistan by next U.S. election – Pompeo
• Two U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan
• Trump says he could end the war in Afghanistan but ‘I just don’t want to kill 10 million people’ </s> Two American service members have been shot dead by an Afghan soldier at a military base in what appears to be an “insider” attack. The Afghan soldier opened fire on a group of U.S. forces at the base in the southern Kandahar province, according to Afghan defense officials. The shooter was wounded in return fire and is now in Afghan military custody. Stars & Stripes reports the two Americans were paratroopers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. It was the first “green on blue” attack since November, when Maj. Brent Taylor was killed by an Afghan soldier in Kabul. In past insider attacks, the attackers have included both genuine Afghan troops who became disaffected and infiltrators who enlisted to attack foreign forces. U.S. military officials confirmed that two American troops had been killed. </s> Citing two US military officials, NBC News reported that a member of the Afghan security forces opened fire on the two US servicemen in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The officials say the gunman was taken into Afghan custody after sustaining a gunshot-related injury. Both troops were ordered to advise and aid Afghan forces prior to the “insider” attack, a term used to describe conflict between US and Afghan security personnel in the country.

Officials noted the killings did not occur in combat. The names of the two service members will be released Tuesday, after their family members are contacted.

Including this incident, a total of 15 US troops have been killed in Afghanistan this year, with three of them dying as a result of non-hostile acts, according to the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System. A total of 15 service members were killed in Afghanistan in all of 2018.

A total of 58 US troops have been wounded while in the line of duty in 2019. </s> An Afghan soldier opened fire on American soldiers on Saturday, injuring at least seven, the US military said. It was the second such insider attack by an Afghan soldier in the past week.

Abdul Qahar Araam, spokesman for the 209th Army corps, confirmed that an insider attack took place at a camp in Mazar-e Sharif. Mr Araam said the soldiers returned fire and killed the attacker.

General Dawlat Waziri, spokesman for the Afghan Defence Ministry, also confirmed the attack.

The Resolute Support mission announced on its Twitter feed that seven US service members were wounded but said there were no US fatalities. It said one Afghan soldier was killed and one wounded.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid praised the attack in a statement sent to the media but he did not claim Taliban responsibility.

Last week three US soldiers were killed by an Afghan soldier in eastern Nangarhar province. In that case Mujahid claimed that the shooter was a Taliban loyalist who infiltrated the army specifically to seek out opportunities to attack foreign soldiers.

It is unclear whether the Afghan soldier killed was the attacker. There is a lengthy history of "green on blue" insider attacks in Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of several Nato soldiers since the US invasion in 2001. </s> According to Afghan officials, the shooter was wounded in return fire and taken into Afghan military custody. It was the first known incident, also known as a ‘‘green on blue’’ attack, since November, when Brent Taylor, a major in the Utah National Guard and the mayor of a town in Utah, was killed by an Afghan soldier in Kabul.

US military officials here confirmed that two American troops had been killed but did not provide any details or identify the victims, saying they needed to wait until their families were notified. A statement from the US Resolute Support mission here said only that two service members had died.

KABUL — Two American service members were shot dead and a third wounded Monday in a rare ‘‘insider’’ attack when an Afghan soldier opened fire on a group of American forces at a military base in a conflict-torn region of southern Kandahar province, Afghan defense and police officials said Tuesday.

A spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry, Fawad Aman, confirmed that the attack had occurred on an army base in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar. ‘‘The soldier who fired on them has been wounded in a subsequent firing,’’ he said in a brief telephone interview early Tuesday. A police official in Shah Wali Kot also confirmed the incident had taken place, according to the BBC. Other media outlets reported that American military officials in the United States had confirmed the basic facts, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

According to one media report, members of the US Army’s 3rd Brigade Combat team, 82nd Airborne Division, posted a Facebook tribute to their slain comrades but did not identify them.

No information was immediately available about the shooter except that he was an Afghan army soldier. In past ‘‘green on blue’’ incidents, the attackers have included both bona fide Afghan troops who were angry, disgruntled or influenced by Taliban propaganda, and insurgent infiltrators who enlisted to attack and sabotage foreign forces.

Insider attacks have been a problem for American forces in Afghanistan over the past decade, peaking in 2012 with several high-profile incidents. But they declined significantly after US military officials began placing ‘‘guardian angel’’ forces in the battlefield, Afghan security officials improved vetting of recruits, and a major US troop drawdown began in 2014. A total of 2,400 US troops have been killed in the 18-year conflict.

Meanwhile, the UN mission said in a report released Tuesday that more civilians were killed by Afghan and international coalition forces in Afghanistan in the first half of this year than by the Taliban and other militants.

The report apparently refers to civilians killed during Afghan and US military operations against insurgents, such as airstrikes and night raids on militant hideouts. Insurgents often hide among civilians.

The UN report said 403 civilians were killed by Afghan forces in the first six months of the year and another 314 by international forces, a total of 717. That’s compared to 531 killed by the Taliban, an Islamic State affiliate, and other militants during the same period.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. </s> Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.

Two U.S. service members were killed in Afghanistan on Monday when a member of the Afghan security forces opened fire on them, according to two U.S. military officials.

The shooting took place in Kandahar. The officials said the Afghan gunman was shot and wounded, and is currently in the custody of Afghan forces.

The unidentified U.S. service members who were attacked had been assigned to advise and assist Afghan forces, the officials said.

The commanding officer of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, announced the deaths in a message that was posted to the unit's Facebook page.

"It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the loss of two paratroopers from the brigade during combat operations," Col. Art Sellers wrote.

"I ask you to respect the official Department of Defense notification process, a process which may take a few days. If you receive any information about these combat operations, either factual or speculative, I ask you to refrain from sharing it for the sake of the paratroopers’ loved ones."

The deaths bring the number of U.S. troops killed in action in Afghanistan this year to 12; three others died from nonhostile acts. A total of 13 U.S. service members were killed in hostile incidents last year, and two others died from nonhostile acts.

Almost 60 U.S. troops have been wounded in action so far this year.

Cases of Afghan security personnel attacking U.S. troops, known as insider attacks, are relatively rare. In one of the most high-profile recent incidents, an Afghan guard opened fire at an October 2018 meeting attended by Gen. Austin Miller, the senior American commander in Afghanistan.

Miller escaped unharmed but Afghan Gen. Abdul Raziq, an American ally, was killed and two Americans were wounded. </s> Three US soldiers were killed and another wounded during a joint US-Afghan military operation in Nangarhar Province on Saturday, US officials told CNN.

One American official said the soldiers were shot in an apparent insider attack, also known as a “green-on-blue” because of the color-coding system used by NATO. During such assaults, members of the Afghan security forces are known to target US and other NATO soldiers.

The shooter in Saturday’s incident was believed to be a member of the Afghan military, the US official said.

The shootings occurred in the Achin District, where US and Afghan troops have been carrying out a monthslong offensive against a local affiliate of ISIS, officials said.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the militants claimed responsibility for the attack.

“A Mujahid (freedom fighter) infiltrator of the Islamic Emirate who had enrolled himself in the Kabul government’s army attacked American soldiers in Lata Band area of Achin district in Nangarhar province today in the afternoon,” said a written statement in Pashto obtained by CNN. “The American invaders were there to support their Afghan slaves.”

The statement claimed the infiltrator managed to kill four US troops before he was killed by Afghan soldiers.

President Donald Trump was briefed on the shootings, a White House spokesman said, but as of Saturday evening there had been no comment from the President.

While in Milwaukee, Vice President Mike Pence said: “On my way here, I was informed that US service members were killed and wounded in an attack in Afghanistan. The President and I have been briefed. Details of this attack will be forthcoming. When heroes fall, Americans grieve. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of American heroes.”

A US military spokesman in Afghanistan said: “We are aware of an incident in Eastern Afghanistan. We will release more information when appropriate.”

In Kabul, meanwhile, the US military command said an unspecified number of Afghan police were killed and wounded in a “friendly fire” incident during a joint Afghan-US operation overnight Saturday.

In a statement, US Forces Afghanistan said members of the Afghan Border Police in Helmand Province were killed and wounded during an operation involving US and Afghan defense and security forces.

Omar Zawak, spokesman for the governor of Helmand, said the deaths occurred when a US aircraft fired on Afghan police, the statement said.

US Forces Afghanistan is investigating the incident.

Two US service member killed in April

US and coalition casualties in Afghanistan have become rarer, falling dramatically since the Afghan government assumed responsibility for combat operations in 2014.

In late April, however, two US service members were killed and another wounded while conducting a joint raid in the Achin District, according to a Pentagon spokesman. The operation was targeting ISIS-K, the terror group’s Afghanistan affiliate.

Achin District is the primary base of operations for ISIS in Afghanistan and has been the site of multiple joint US-Afghan counterterrorism missions. A US Army Special Forces soldier was killed fighting the terror group there in early April.

The district is also where the US dropped one of its most powerful bombs earlier this month, killing close to 100 ISIS fighters, according to Afghan officials.

Beginning in 2016, Afghan security forces backed by US military advisers launched a major offensive against ISIS. Gen. John W. Nicholson, commander of US Forces Afghanistan, has said the terror group has lost about half of its fighters and been ejected from two-thirds of its territory.

The latest counter-ISIS push began in March of this year.

US officials estimate that ISIS has 600 to 800 fighters in the country, mostly former members of other regional terror groups, including the Pakistani Taliban and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. ISIS is believed to be behind a series of terror attacks, including the recent deadly attack on a hospital in Kabul.

There are about 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan. The US counterterrorism mission is separate from the NATO-led effort to train, advise and assist the Afghan army and police force in its fight against the Taliban.
An Afghan National Army soldier kills two United States Army soldiers in Kandahar, Afghanistan, which local police suspect is an insider attack. The killer is believed to be wounded.