Taliban claims green-on-blue attack killing British soldier in Afghanistan

 • A man dressed in Afghan army uniform shot dead a British soldier Monday in Afghan province of Helmand.

 • The ISAF confirmed the incident in a statement released Tuesday.

 • Investigation has been initiated into the case to determine the identity of the culprit.

KABUL, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- A man dressed in Afghan army uniform shot dead a British soldier on Monday in the troubled southern Afghan province of Helmand where thousands of British troops have been stationed, an Afghan army officer said Tuesday.

"An Afghan soldier opened fire and killed a British soldier in a military base in Gereshk district of Helmand province on Monday and began fleeing but was killed by other soldiers," the officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Another Afghan army officer, Mohammad Rasoul Zazai, confirmed the shooting. "A soldier with the national army opened fire and killed a soldier with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) on Monday," he said.

However, he did not give further details, saying investigation has been initiated into the case to determine the identity of the culprit.

On the other hand, the ISAF confirmed the incident in a statement released here Tuesday.

"An individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform turned his weapon against International Security Assistance Force service members in southern Afghanistan yesterday, killing one," the statement said.

Without revealing the nationality of the victim, the statement added, "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities."

Meanwhile, Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, a purported Taliban spokesman, told media by telephone from unknown location that a Taliban penetrated soldier named Qasim opened fire on foreign soldiers in Gereshk district on Monday afternoon, inflicting casualties.

A total of 405 foreign soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in 2012, 58 of them in the so-called green-on-blue or insider attacks. 

Related:

Foreign soldier killed in apparent insider attack in S. Afghanistan

KABUL, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- A soldier with the NATO-led coalition forces has been killed when a man in Afghan army uniform opened fire at coalition forces, the coalition forces said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

"An individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform turned his weapon against International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service members in southern Afghanistan on Monday, killing one," the coalition or ISAF said in the statement. Full story