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Afghan soldiers kill one US-led trooper in Kandahar

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 9, 2013 2:37PM GMT

At least one US-led soldier has been killed and several others injured in a gun battle with Afghan troops in the troubled southern province of Kandahar, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) says.

The causalities come after Afghan soldiers opened fire on US troops in Kandahar airfield on Tuesday.

The coalition of foreign forces has also confirmed the deadly attack inside the US Kandahar Airfield.

Afghan security officials say it was an accident. This comes while large numbers of US-led troops have been killed over the past year when Afghan soldiers turned their guns on foreign forces.

The surge in these fatal shootings, come to be known as Green-on-Blue attacks, has concerned American officials, forcing them to reduce joint operations with Afghan soldiers.

The latest attack by Afghan security forces on foreign troops comes at a sensitive time for the United States and its allies, since they are preparing to withdraw the majority of their troops by 2014 under a plan that requires Afghan forces to take responsibility for the country's security.

Attacks on foreign troops are expected to rise in the next months, as Taliban militants have announced the beginning of their spring offensive across Afghanistan.

The militant group said it would use "every possible tactic" to inflict casualties on Afghan and US-led forces, specifically mentioning insider and bomb attacks.

The announcement prompted the Afghan authorities to beef up security in major cities across the country, including the capital city of Kabul.

According to official figures released by the website icasualties.org, the overall number of the US-led soldiers killed so far this year in Afghanistan stands at 98, of which 75 are American.

A total of 402 US-led soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan in 2012. However, 2010 remains the deadliest year for US-led military casualties, with a death toll of 711.

At least 3,347 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001, which was conducted as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror.

The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity continues to rise across Afghanistan, despite the presence of foreign troops.

The increasing number of foreign military casualties in Afghanistan has caused widespread anger in the United States and other NATO member states, undermining public support for the Afghan war.

JR/PR