Afghan Police Kill NATO Soldier in ‘Rogue Shooting’ Attack

Few Details Offered on Attack in Kandahar Province

Three apparent Afghan police opened fire on NATO soldiers, killing one and successfully fleeing the scene in the Kandahar Province today. Several others were also reportedly wounded in the shooting. The attack is just the latest in a growing number of killings by Afghan forces against NATO troops.

Details on the killing are scant so far, with NATO confirming the killing but refused to provide the nationality of the slain soldier, and also refused to confirm the province in which the shooting took place, though Afghan officials already placed it in Kandahar.

All NATO officials would say was that there were three shooters, that they had on “police uniforms,” and that they were still trying to find them.

The soldier killed today is the 23rd NATO soldier killed in 2012 in attacks by “rogue members” of the Afghan military or police forces. In many cases the Taliban has claimed to have infiltrated the military, but other incidents were simply the result of arguments.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.