An Afghan policeman in the southern province of Kandahar opened fire on his colleagues, killing seven other officers before fleeing the scene, a provincial official said yesterday.
The Taliban claimed the attack, saying the policeman had joined their ranks.
The deadly shooting was the latest case of so-called “insider attacks” — instances when an Afghan policeman or soldier, or a Taliban insurgent wearing a police or military uniform — turns his weapon on Afghan forces or international troops.
Photo: AFP
Last week, two US soldiers were shot and killed by an Afghan soldier in the same Kandahar District. The attacker, who was wounded and taken into custody, was dubbed a “hero” by the Taliban, though the insurgents did not claim the assault.
The latest attack in Kandahar took place on Sunday and the attacker fled the scene, provincial spokesman Jamal Naser Barekzai said, adding that an investigation is under way.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yusouf Ahmadi claimed the attack and said the policeman had joined their ranks.
In last week’s attack, the US Department of Defense said that 20-year-old private first class Brandon Jay Kreischer of Stryker, Ohio, and 24-year-old specialist Michael Isaiah Nance of Chicago died “as a result of wounds sustained in a combat related incident” in southern Afghanistan.
Both soldiers were assigned to the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The Taliban now effectively control half the country and stage near-daily attacks, mainly targeting Afghan security forces and government officials or those they see as siding with the government. Many civilians caught in the crossfire are also killed.
In another development yesterday, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an explosion involving a bus carrying media workers in Kabul on Sunday.
A magnetic explosive device attached to the bus the driver and a pedestrian, Afghan Ministry of Defense spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said.
Two employees of the Khurshid TV station and another pedestrian were wounded in the attack, he said.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack.
“Deliberately targeting the media and civilians is a war crime and those responsible will be held accountable,” he tweeted.
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