NATO: Afghan local policeman kills 2 US troops

NATO: Afghan local policeman kills 2 US troops

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A newly recruited Afghan village policeman opened fire on his American allies today, minutes after they gave him a new weapon as a present, killing two U.S. service members. It was the latest in a disturbing string of attacks by Afghan security forces on the international troops training them.

The killings in the country’s far west marked the sixth time in two weeks that a member of the Afghan security forces, or someone wearing their uniform, opened fire on international forces.

Such attacks — virtually unheard of just a few years ago — have recently escalated, killing at least 36 foreign troops so far this year and raising questions about the strategy to train national police and soldiers to take over security and fight insurgents after most foreign troops leave the country by the end of 2014.

The NATO-led coalition has said such attacks are anomalies stemming from personal disputes, but the supreme leader of the Taliban boasted on Thursday night that the insurgents are infiltrating the quickly expanding Afghan forces.

Friday’s attacker was identified as Mohammad Ismail, a man in his 30s who had joined the Afghan Local Police just five days ago.