Two NATO soldiers were killed at a military base in South Afghanistan by two people in Afghan military uniform on Wednesday. The attackers were shot down by retaliatory fire. The nationalities of the NATO soldiers are yet to be established, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The incident took place in Helmand province and the security forces manged to killed the attackers.
Skirmishes between Afghan soldiers and the NATO forces, know as green-on-blue attacks, have been on the decline even in the recent turmoil affecting Afghanistan. More than 100 foreign soldiers have died in such attacks.
International alliance forces ended its combat operation in December 2014 withdrawing from most parts of Afghanistan with their roles now limited to training and counter-terrorism operations.
The alliance forces, around 13000 in numbers, had put in stringent security measures after a similar attack last year at a military academy killed a high-ranking US military commander, Major General Harold Greene.
Now concentrated in pockets sprayed across the country, NATO is helping to speedily churn out half prepared Afghan soldiers to fill the gap left by withdrawn foreign troops.
Many of these new soldiers come from areas considered to be Taliban stronghold. The void left the by experienced military personnel hasn’t been filled quick or well enough, prompting the Taliban and other radical factions to take advantage of this opportunity. Undeterred by the death of Mullah Omar, the Taliban, in recent times, have launched a new wave of ferocious attacks across the country.