2 U.K. Soldiers Killed in Green on Blue Attacks

(Posted on 16/09/12)

On Saturday, Britain's defense ministry broke the news that two UK soldiers had been killed by a man who was wearing an Afghan police uniform. This is the second event resulting in the death of British soldiers in as many days.

The solders, both from the 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment were killed at a checkpoint in the Nahr e Saraj district of Helmand Province. The names weren't available at press time; however, the families of the three soldiers have been notified.

NATO has also reported in recent hours that the gunman was killed as well. Efforts to train Afghan forces for a complete withdrawal next year has been plagued with so called "green on blue attacks". These attacks are described as the killing of soldiers and other International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers by members of the Afghan security services. While these killings account for 28% of casualties, the death rate is dropping among coalition forces. For contrast, the numbers for 2011 are 82 deaths while 2010 saw 79 green on blue killings.

On Friday, the Taliban claimed responsibility for U.S. Embassy bombing in Libya; it cited the anti-Islam film being shown on YouTube. It should be noted that ISAF spokesman Maj. Martin Crighton said there had no organized demonstrations outside its gates before the assault. Later, a joint U.S.-British military complex in the same area was attacked by a group of insurgents who were dressed in U.S. Army uniforms, ISAF reported.

Editors Note: News broke moments before press time that in yet another suspected green-on-blue attack, attackers dressed as Afghan police killed four coalition troops early Sunday in southern Afghanistan, a spokesman with NATO's International Security Assistance Force said. ISAF spokesman James Graybeal didn't offer more details, though he did say that the troops died "following an insider attack involving Afghan police."

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