A gunman in an Afghan Army uniform has killed a US soldier in Kabul

Thomson Reuters

US Forces-Afghanistan confirmed that an American soldier was killed and another was wounded in an attack today in the Afghan capital of Kabul. From the USFOR-A press release:

One U.S. service member and one U.S. civilian died as a result of wounds sustained in Kabul, Afghanistan today. One U.S. service member and two U.S. civilians also sustained wounds and are currently stable.

…

The two individuals were killed during an attack near a coalition base by an unknown assailant, who was later killed. They were conducting duties as part of the larger NATO mission to Train, Advise, and Assist the Afghan security services. An investigation is being conducted to determine the exact circumstances of the event.

U.S. Department of Defense Policy is to withhold the identity of those involved pending next-of-kin notification. We will release additional information as appropriate.

According to Reuters, “The shooting took place at about 11 a.m., while the international troops were visiting a base in Kabul.” The gunman is reported to have been wearing an Afghan Army uniform.

Neither the Taliban nor the Islamic State has claimed the attack at this time. In the past, the Taliban has infiltrated Afghan security forces to carry out such attacks or convinced soldiers or policemen to turn their weapons on Coalition personnel. The Islamic State claimed credit for killing a US soldier in an IED attack in its stronghold of Nangarhar two weeks ago.

If the shooting is confirmed to be a green-on-blue or insider attack, where Afghan police or soldiers target Coalition personnel, then it would be the first recorded incident of its kind since April 2015. [For in-depth information, see LWJ special report, Green-on-blue attacks in Afghanistan: the data.]

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