Monthly Archives: April 2015

Jalalabad (Afghanistan) (AFP) - An American soldier was killed Wednesday in a firefight between US and Afghan troops in eastern Afghanistan, the first apparent insider attack since Washington announced a delay in troop withdrawals from the country.

So-called "green-on-blue" attacks -- when Afghan soldiers or police turn their guns on international troops -- have been a major problem during NATO's long years fighting alongside Afghan forces.

Wednesday's attack marked the second such fatal incident since the start of the year, highlighting long-simmering tensions between Afghan and foreign forces.

The gunfight erupted after an Afghan soldier opened fire on an American delegation outside the governor's compound in Jalalabad, the capital of the militant-infested province of Nangarhar.

"US soldiers returned fire, killing the shooter and wounding two other members of the Afghan National Army. We are investigating to find out the motive behind the shooting," Nangarhar police chief Fazel Ahmad Shirzad told AFP.

An American soldier, who was part of a unit devoted to training and advising Afghan forces, was also killed, US officials told AFP.

The "incident in Jalalabad today resulted in the death of one Resolute Support service member", said a brief statement from Resolute Support, the new name for the NATO mission in Afghanistan.

Monica Cummings, the US embassy spokeswoman, said the incident occurred after a senior US official held a meeting with the provincial governor in Jalalabad.

"All Chief of Mission personnel of the visiting party are accounted for," she added in a statement, without offering any more details.

- Fierce mistrust -

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NATO soldier killed in firefight between US, Afghan forces

Jalalabad, Afghanistan An American soldier and an Afghan soldier were killed when a firefight broke out between Afghan and NATO coalition forces at a compound where a senior US diplomat met a provincial governor in eastern Afghanistan, police and US sources said.

A handful of others from both sides were wounded in the shooting, which erupted shortly after the diplomat left the compound aboard a helicopter, according to US and Afghan sources.

The NATO soldiers involved in the incident were American, according to Afghan police, and had been leaving the venue to return to Camp Gamberi in east Afghanistan where they were stationed.

NATO issued a statement saying one of its soldiers had been killed, without divulging the nationality, though a US source told Reuters that the dead soldier was American and two Americans had been wounded in the clash.

Two Afghan soldiers were also injured in the shoot out and it was unclear who had fired first, police said, adding that an Afghan soldier was being questioned. They had no other details on the American casualties.

The US embassy in Kabul issued a statement on the incident without referring to casualties.

"We are aware that there was an exchange of gunfire involving Resolute Support service members... All Chief of Mission personnel of the visiting party are accounted for," the US embassy said.

The frequency of "insider attacks" in Afghanistan has fallen sharply this year as most foreign forces withdrew from the country in 2014.

A small contingent of around 12,000 NATO troops remains in Afghanistan to train Afghan forces after the combat mission officially ended last year.

Wednesday's incident was the first since January, when three US military contractors were killed by an Afghan soldier in the capital Kabul.

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US soldier killed in firefight between NATO and Afghan troops, sources say

JALALABAD, Afghanistan: An American soldier and an Afghan soldier were killed when a firefight broke out between Afghan and NATO coalition forces at a compound where a senior U.S. diplomat met a provincial governor in eastern Afghanistan, police and U.S. sources said.

A handful of others from both sides were wounded in the shooting, which erupted shortly after the diplomat left the compound aboard a helicopter, according to U.S. and Afghan sources.

The NATO soldiers involved in the incident were American, according to Afghan police, and had been leaving the venue to return to Camp Gamberi in east Afghanistan where they were stationed.

NATO issued a statement saying one of its soldiers had been killed, without divulging the nationality, though a U.S. source told Reuters that the dead soldier was American and two Americans had been wounded in the clash.

Two Afghan soldiers were also injured in the shoot out and it was unclear who had fired first, police said, adding that an Afghan soldier was being questioned. They had no other details on the American casualties.

The U.S. embassy in Kabul issued a statement on the incident without referring to casualties.

"We are aware that there was an exchange of gunfire involving Resolute Support service members... All Chief of Mission personnel of the visiting party are accounted for," the U.S. embassy said.

The frequency of "insider attacks" in Afghanistan has fallen sharply this year as most foreign forces withdrew from the country in 2014.

A small contingent of around 12,000 NATO troops remains in Afghanistan to train Afghan forces after the combat mission officially ended last year.

Wednesday's incident was the first since January, when three U.S. military contractors were killed by an Afghan soldier in the capital Kabul.

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NATO soldier killed in firefight with Afghan troops - NATO coalition

This story has been updated.

KABUL, Afghanistan An Afghan soldier opened fire Wednesday on U.S. soldiers in eastern Afghanistan, killing one and wounding several others in the first hostile fire death suffered by the U.S. military since the end of the NATO combat mission, officials said.

The attack occurred after a meeting between U.S. Embassy officials and local Afghan leaders at the provincial governors home in Jalalabad, said Hazrat Hussain Mashraqiwal, police spokesman for Nangarhar province.

The Afghan soldier suddenly fired on troops providing security for the Embassy team. He was killed when security team members returned fire, Mashraqiwal said. None of the U.S. diplomats was injured, the embassy said.

Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren confirmed the fatality was an American soldier, and that several U.S. soldiers were wounded. The wounded were taken to regional medical facilities, Warren said. He said he didnt know how seriously they were injured.

It was the first hostile fire death suffered by the U.S. military since NATO ended its combat role in Afghanistan at the end of last year and shifted to a training and assistance mission known as Operation Resolute Support. Two 1st Cavalry Division soldiers were killed Dec. 12 by an IED in Parwan province. Three American civilian contractors were killed by an Afghan soldier Jan. 29 at Kabul airport.

Mashraqiwal also said a police officer had been detained for questioning in connection with Wednesdays shooting. He said the policeman was not in Jalalabad at the time of the attack and provided no further details as to the officers involvement.

Afghan Gen. Fazel Ahmad Sherzad, who is police chief for eastern Nangarhar province where the shooting happened, said it took place immediately after the meeting in the governors compound and the embassy official had left.

Right after the U.S. official had left, suddenly an Afghan army soldier opened fire on the U.S. soldiers who were present in the compound, Sherzad told The Associated Press.

The American troops returned fire, killing the Afghan soldier, whom Sherzad identified as Abdul Azim, from Laghman province.

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NATO says 1 of its soldiers killed in insider attack in Afghanistan