Seven US soldiers wounded in Afghanistan ‘insider attack’

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, AFGHANISTAN // Seven American troops were wounded yesterday in an insider attack by an Afghan soldier.

The “green-on-blue” attack at Camp Shaheen near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif is the latest incident in which Afghan soldiers turn their weapons on international forces training them.

Washington is expected to announce an increase in the US military numbers to bolster Afghan forces who are struggling to contain the Taliban’s nationwide offensive.

“At this time we can confirm there are no US or Nato Resolute Support fatalities,” Nato said yesterday. The Afghan defence ministry said the attacker was shot dead.

“US soldiers have been wounded. One Afghan soldier was killed and one was wounded in the incident.” An Afghan commando killed three American troops and wounded another in eastern Nangarhar province on June 10, in an insider attack that was claimed by the Taliban.

The Taliban did not say if they were directly behind the latest attack, only crediting a “patriotic Afghan soldier” for the assault. Camp Shaheen is the headquarters of the Afghan army’s 209th Corps, where about 150 Afghan soldiers and policemen were killed in April when it was stormed by Taliban fighters dressed in military uniforms and wearing suicide vests. The US defence secretary James Mattis said last week that he would present a new US military strategy for Afghanistan, along with adjusted troop numbers, in the coming weeks to president Donald Trump.

American military commanders in Afghanistan have requested thousands more troops to boost the Nato force’s presence.

There are now about 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan and 5,000 from Nato allies, who are mainly trainers and advisers.

The Afghan conflict is the longest in American history, with US-led forces at war there since 2001, after the Taliban regime was ousted.

Afghan soldier turns gun on Americans sent to train troops