Afghan Soldier Kills Two Comrades in Herat Insider Attack

Attacker Was Also Killed in Latest Incident

Insider attacks continue to be a problem in Afghanistan, with officials reporting another incident on Sunday night in the Herat Province, with a soldier killing two others before being slain himself.

Rare in the early years of the war, insider attacks have become a huge issue since 2011, with a dramatic increase in Afghan soldiers turning on NATO counterparts or one another.

The Taliban regularly takes credit for such attacks, and when the attackers survive they usually escape the site of the attack to join them, reflecting concerns about “infiltration” of the Afghan military.

In this case it doesn’t appear that the incident was Taliban-related, however, as the district security chief said the attacker was engaged in a verbal argument with the other two before opening fire on them.

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.