Insider Attack: Afghan Soldiers Attack US Base in Kapisa, Kill Contractor

Soldiers Were in Afghan Army Uniforms, Driving Military Vehicle

A group of three as-yet-unidentified Afghan soldiers, wearing full Afghan National Army uniforms and driving a military vehicle attacked a US base in the Kapisa Province this morning, forcing their way into the base and killing a US contractor, while wounding three additional US troops.

The three attackers were killed, and while they haven’t been identified yet all indications are that they were members of the Afghan military carrying out an “insider” attack, the first such attack against NATO troops in over a month.

The area around the base has seen its share of protests recently, as the Tagab District of Kapisa, where today’s attack took place, was also the site of a US night raid last month, in which NATO claimed to kill over a dozen “insurgents,” but where later revealed to have killed a number of innocent civilian bystanders.

There have been no claims of responsibility for the attack yet, which is unusual since the Taliban normally claims credit for anything resembling an insider attack whether they were actually involved or not. NATO has yet to comment on the incident beyond the initial report confirming the attack itself.

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.