Foreign Affairs

Afghan Soldier Opens Fire On US Troops, Wounding Three

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An Afghan Defense Force soldier opened fire on U.S. troops in Helmand province Sunday, wounding three.

An Afghan Army spokesman told CBSNews the Afghan soldier mistakenly fired on the U.S. service members. The U.S. mission in Afghanistan confirmed the action in a tweet, but did not clarify the motive.

3 US soldiers wounded when shot by Afghan soldier on a base in Helmand Province. US soldiers receiving medical care. Updates as appropriate.

— Resolute Support (@ResoluteSupport) March 19, 2017

Insider attacks on Afghan and U.S. forces are a common method of attack in Afghanistan. “I think the signature attack that we’re beginning to see the– is going to be the insider attack,” then-Commander of all U.S. forces in Afghanistan Gen. John Allen told “60 Minutes” in 2012.

Two U.S. citizens, one a soldier the other a contractor, were shot dead in a similar insider attack in October 2016 in the city of Kabul.

The U.S. will be deploying nearly 300 Marines to Helmand province, which is increasingly under Taliban control. The U.S. mission in Afghanistan is to train advise and assist Afghan Security Forces.

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