Three U.S. soldiers killed by Afghan men in Helmand province
Three U.S. soldiers were shot by Afghan forces on Thursday night in the Helmand province. The Americans were all members of the special forces.
In what Reuters refers to as a “planned attack by rogue Afghan forces,” the three Americans were invited to a working dinner to chat about security issues in Afghanistan. The Americans were taken by surprise when an Afghan police commander and his men opened fire at the meeting.
An anonymous Afghan official told Reuters that the attack was premeditated. A NATO spokeswoman says that there is still some doubt as to whether the shooting was related to insurgency.
In recent months, there has been an increase in tension between Afghan forces and Western forces. NATO reports that since 2011, over 60 have been killed by Afghan forces.
According to the New York Times, NATO officials say that the Taliban has nothing to do with the attacks. The motivation for the attacks is discord between Afghan and Western forces.
