Suspected insider attack kills U.S. soldier, contractor in Afghanistan

Source: LAT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A U.S. soldier and an American civilian contractor were shot to death this weekend in what NATO officials said on Sunday was a suspected insider attack, the latest in a disturbing surge of so-called green-on-blue killings that have threatened collaboration between Afghan and NATO forces ahead of the planned withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2014.

The attack, which occurred late Saturday afternoon in the eastern province of Wardak, comes just days after top U.S. military officials said joint operations between U.S. and Afghan forces were resuming after a temporary halt imposed by the U.S. because of the rising number of insider attacks.

Gen. Abdul Qayum Baqizoi, Wardak’s police chief, said gunfire broke out between NATO and Afghan army troops at a checkpoint in the province’s Sayedabad district. Three other NATO soldiers were injured in the gunfight. Three of the seven Afghan army soldiers deployed at the checkpoint were killed, Baqizoi said. A “misunderstanding” led to the incident, Baqizoi added, but he would not elaborate.

A short statement issued by NATO described the incident as “a suspected insider attack.” A joint NATO-Afghan security force investigation into the attack was underway, according to the statement.

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