US soldier killed in Afghan insider attack

A U.S. soldier was killed and at least two others wounded in Jalalabad, in eastern Afghanistan, on Wednesday after an Afghan soldier opened fired on NATO coalition forces, a Pentagon official said.

It was the latest in so-called “green-on-blue” attacks — instances in which Afghan soldiers or policemen have turned their weapons on their U.S. or other NATO colleagues.

The incident happened after a meeting between Afghan provincial leaders and a U.S. embassy official in the compound of the provincial governor of Jalalabad. All U.S. embassy staff were accounted for and returned safely to their mission headquarters, the embassy said.

The attack was also the second fatality suffered by NATO since the beginning of the year, when the coalition launched its new mission in Afghanistan called Resolute Support after the withdrawal of foreign troops under NATO’s previous International Security Assistance Force mission.

The last incident in which an American soldier was killed in Afghanistan was on Dec. 13, when a roadside bombing killed two U.S. troops in Parwan province. An Afghan soldier killed three U.S. contractors on January 29. The shooter was also killed in that incident.

There were at least four green-on-blue attacks in Afghanistan in 2014, including an incident on Aug. 5, when an Afghan soldier shot and killed U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene. He was the highest-ranking U.S. officer to be killed in combat since 1970, during the Vietnam War. Eighteen other people were wounded in that attack, a U.S. military investigation later found.

Insider attacks first surged in 2012 to become a tactic in the Taliban insurgency. That year, more than 60 coalition troops, most of them Americans, were killed in more than 40 attacks that threatened to shatter all trust between U.S. and Afghan forces, who are considered to be allies.

Such attacks are sometimes claimed by the Taliban as proof of their infiltration. Others are attributed to personal disputes or resentment by Afghans who have soured on the years-long international presence in their country after the fall of the Taliban government in 2001.

In February, U.S. Gen. John F. Campbell, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the U.S.-led coalition continues to "implement mitigations to avoid patterns and prevent complacency" that can lead to such insider attacks.

"These measures have reduced, but not eliminated, the threat. We will remain vigilant to prevent future insider attacks," Campbell said.

The Western-backed Afghan government's nearly 13-year war against the Taliban and other anti-government groups has intensified in the wake of the pullout of foreign combat forces, as both sides seek to strengthen their positions ahead of possible peace talks.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who was elected in September, has prioritized peace talks with the Taliban, seeking support from a number of regional actors, including Pakistan and China, to help bolster the chances for success.

But security and operations to resist Taliban advances continue to be a parallel priority.

Last month, Ghani made a high profile visit to the U.S. that included an address to Congress where he pressed the important of a continued close relationship between the countries. After meeting with President Obama, the U.S. agreed to slow down the pace of withdrawal of U.S. forces still in the country, so that 9,800 soldiers would remain in the country at least until the end of the 2015, and possibly longer.

Afghan Gen. Fazel Ahmad Sherzad, who is police chief for eastern Nangarhar province where the Wednesday’s shooting happened, said it took place immediately after the meeting in the governor's 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.

The motive for his attack was not immediately known and no group claimed responsibility for the assault. In past attacks, Taliban insurgents have been known to wear Afghan police or military uniforms to stage attacks on the international troops.

The U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan P. Michael McKinley was not present at the time of the incident, said Sherzad. Neither Sherzad nor the U.S. Embassy identified the senior U.S. diplomat at the meeting.

In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, referring to the U.S.-led coalition, said: "We are aware that there was an exchange of gunfire involving Resolute Support service members near the provincial governor's compound in Jalalabad.

"The incident took place after a senior U.S. official held a meeting with the provincial governor. All Chief of Mission personnel of the visiting party are accounted for," spokeswoman Monica Cummings said.

The Pentagon official gave no update the condition of the injured U.S. soldiers, who were evacuated to medical facilities.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press