Three US troops wounded after Afghan soldier opens fire on base; gunned down

Mazar-I-Sharif:  At least three US troops were wounded on Saturday when an Afghan soldier opened fire at them at a military base in northern Afghanistan, the defence ministry said, in an apparent insider attack. The “green-on-blue” attack at Camp Shaheen close to Mazar-i-Sharif city is the latest in a string of incidents where Afghan soldiers have turned their weapons on international forces training them. [caption id=“attachment_3550805” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] It comes as the United States is expected to send more troops into the lengthy conflict at a time when the Taliban are ramping up their campaign against the Western-backed government. “Initial information shows three US soldiers visiting the base were wounded,” ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish told AFP, adding that the attacker had been gunned down. US-led NATO forces confirmed that American soldiers had been wounded in “an incident” at Camp Shaheen, without specifying a number. “At this time we can confirm there are no US or NATO Resolute Support fatalities,” the international coalition said in a brief statement. “US soldiers have been wounded. One Afghan soldier was killed and one was wounded in the incident.” Green-on-blue attacks have been a major problem during NATO’s long years fighting alongside Afghan forces. Western officials say most insider attacks stem from personal grudges and cultural misunderstandings rather than insurgent plots.