Afghan soldier turns on US forces, killing soldier

An Afghan soldier on Wednesday opened fire on coalition forces in Jalalabad, killing one American and wounding two others in an apparent insider attack.

One NATO soldier also died in the incident, The Associated Press reported. U.S. forces fought back and killed the alleged attacker.

{mosads}U.S. officials said that the attack happened during a meeting between Afghan provincial leaders and a U.S. Embassy official in the compound of Jalalabad’s provincial governor. All Embassy staff were safely secured and accounted for, they added.

“We are aware that there was an exchange of gunfire involving Resolute Support members near the provincial governor’s compound in Jalalabad,” said U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Monica Cummings, referring to NATO’s code name for its latest coalition campaign in Afghanistan.

“The incident took place after a senior U.S. official held a meeting with the provincial governor,” she added from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. “All Chief of Mission personnel of the visiting party are accounted for.”

The AP reported that U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Michael McKinley was not present during the attack. It identified the shooter as Abdul Azim, an Afghan soldier from Laghman province.

Neither American nor NATO casualties were identified after Wednesday’s attack. NATO did not report its lost soldier’s nationality, per the coalition’s policy.

Wednesday’s ambush is the latest in coalition forces’ long struggle with insider attacks. Earlier this year, an Afghan soldier killed three American contractors before he was shot dead on Jan. 29.

The AP noted that four similar incidents took place in 2014. Taliban insurgents have also masqueraded as Afghan police or troops for sneak attacks.

President Obama slowed the exodus of U.S. troops from Afghanistan on March 23. Nearly 10,000 soldiers will remain there through 2015, rather than the reduced 5,500 Obama had initially planned.

The president’s decision comes after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani visited Washington, D.C., earlier this month. The foreign leader on March 23 warned that there was “sufficient evidence” the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had begun plotting terrorist operations within his nation’s borders.

— Updated at 10:52 a.m.