UPDATED: Afghanistan police officer kills 2 U.S. troops in latest "green-on-blue" attack

Districts of Farah. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(CBS News) LONDON - Two U.S. troops were killed Friday in the western Afghan province of Farah when an Afghan Local Police officer turned his gun on them in the most recent incident in a string of so-called green-on-blue attacks, which have increased dramatically during the last year.

The police officer was shot and killed, according to NATO, which said an investigation was underway.

Friday's attack in Farah marks the 30th time in 2012 that Afghan security forces working in partnership with Western troops have turned weapons on their allies. At least 39 coalition forces have been killed in green-on-blue attacks this year, according to NATO, including 23 Americans.

The shooting comes one day after a statement released by the head of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Omar, claimed that militants had successfully infiltrated Afghan security forces to carry out such attacks.

"Thanks to the infiltration of the Mujahideen (holy warriors), they are able to (safely) enter bases, offices and intelligence centers of the enemy," claimed Omar in the statement, released to mark the Islamic holiday of Eid al Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

The Taliban often claim responsibility for the green-on-blue attacks, but the U.S. Defense Department maintains the attacks are not generally not carried out by insurgents, but rather individual members of the Afghan security forces who may develop a grudge against their Western allies.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced earlier this week that new counter-intelligence measures had been adopted during the past year to try and prevent the green-on-blue attacks. While he acknowledged that some of the incidents have been connected to insurgent groups, he insisted that the vast majority of the attacks appear to be carried out by people with no known links to, or coordination with, the Taliban or other militant organizations.

Even the Taliban leader conceded in his written statement that not all of the attacks were carried out by his militants, but he expressed his appreciation to the "conscious Afghans in the rank and files of the enemy," some of whom, he claimed, had gone on to "join the ranks of Mujahideen, carrying their heavy and light weapons and ammunition."

U.S. military officials note that the majority of the attackers in green-on-blue incidents are actually killed or captured soon after they turn their weapons on their colleagues.

In conjunction with Afghan commanders, the U.S. has used an eight-point vetting process to try and identify and exclude Afghan recruits who pose a threat, but neither Panetta nor other U.S. commanders have elaborated on what news steps are being taken to confront the problem.

The number of international forces killed in green-on-blue attacks in 2012 has already surpassed the toll from 2011, when 35 Western forces were killed.

from CBSLOCAL
By Tucker Reals
August 17, 2012 4:06 AM
Updated at 4:40 a.m. Eastern

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U.S. Forces Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan – Two U.S. Forces-Afghanistan service members died this morning as a result of an insider threat attack in Farah province, Afghanistan today. A member of the Afghan Local Police turned his weapon against two USFOR-A service members. The attacker was shot and killed.

Officials are investigating the incident to determine the facts and as more information becomes available it will be released as appropriate.

It is USFOR-A policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Date Taken:08.17.2012
Date Posted:08.17.2012 03:53

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from XINHUA
2012-08-17 16:01:14

FARAH, Afghanistan, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A man in police uniform opened fire and killed three people including two foreign soldiers in Farah province, 695 km west of capital city Kabul, on Friday, provincial police chief Aqa Noor Kintoz said.

"Personnel of U.S. Special Force were giving training to local police in Balablok district this morning. However, during the training, a local police namely Mohammad Ismael opened fire and killed three soldiers including two Americans and one Afghan on the spot," Kintoz told Xinhua. The deadly incident took place at 8: 30 a.m. local time, he further said.

The attacker was also killed by the troops on the spot, he added.

However, he did not say if the attacker was Taliban protege, adding investigation has been initiated.

This is the third such so-called green-on-blue attacks over the past two weeks in the militancy-hit Afghanistan. In the previous incidents, six foreign soldiers had been killed in the southern Helmand province, the Taliban former stronghold region.

Posted in: Afghan National Security Forces, Eid ul-Fitr, NATO, Taliban