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British soldier killed by suspected member of Afghan army British soldier killed in Afghanistan in suspected 'green on blue' attack
(about 1 hour later)
A British soldier serving with Nato in Afghanistan has been killed by a suspected member of the Afghan army, the military has announced. Another British soldier has been killed in Helmand province in an apparent "green on blue" attack suspected to have been carried out by a member of the Afghan army, the Ministry of Defence announced.
The soldier came from 28 Engineer Regiment, attached to 21 Engineer Regiment, the Ministry of Defence said, adding that next of kin had been informed. The dead soldier, a member of 28 Engineer Regiment, attached to 21 Engineer Regiment, was shot on Monday at Patrol Base Hazrat, in the troubled Nahr-e Saraj district north of the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah. The killer was shot dead at the scene.
A Nato statement said the incident on Monday was under investigation and released no further details. British forces are gradually withdrawing from the patrol bases in Nahr-e Saraj, one of the most violent areas of the country, as responsibility for security is handed over to the local army and police.
An Afghan military spokesman in the southern province of Helmand, the most violent in the country, said the attack occurred in the province's Gereshk district. Ghulum Rasool Zazai said a joint commission of Afghan and Nato officers were investigating the assault and attempting to determine whether the killer was a member of the Afghan national army. Monday's death is the first since November, when a captain in the Royal Scots Borderers was killed in another "insider attack" at Forward Operating Base Shawqat in the Nad 'Ali district.
Several similar attacks have occurred in Gereshk. In October 2012, two British soldiers were killed by an Afghan policeman. In the same month a police officer, along with militants, poisoned their colleagues and shot others, leaving six Afghans dead. However, the number of "green on blue" attacks has soared in the last 12 months, and commanders will be concerned that the new year has begun with yet another incident of this kind, despite renewed efforts to root out suspected militants from the ranks of the 350,000-strong Afghan security forces.
So-called insider attacks killed 61 people in 45 incidents during 2012, compared with 35 killed in 21 attacks a year earlier, according to Nato. Though senior officers insist the relationship between British personnel and their Afghan colleagues is healthy, they also privately concede the damage that can be done to moral at this delicate stage of the drawdown process.
Three weeks ago David Cameron announced that 4,000 British forces would withdraw from Afghanistan this year as British involvement in combat operations comes to an end.
The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, is due in the US this week to discuss the broader political and security outlook for the country as the White House considers its own withdrawal plans.
Though the Ministry of Defence did not disclose details of the latest death, a spokesman said the soldier's next of kin had been informed.
A statement said: "It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must announce the death of a soldier from 28 Engineer Regiment, attached to 21 Engineer Regiment, on Monday 7 January 2013 as a result of small arms fire from a suspected member of the Afghan national army, who turned his weapon on ANA and Isaf soldiers in Patrol Base Hazrat in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province."
Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Major Laurence Roche, said: "It is my painful duty to report the death of a soldier from 28 Engineer Regiment, who was shot and killed by a suspected member of the Afghan national army at a patrol base in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province. This is an extremely sad day for the Corps of Royal Engineers and everyone serving with Task Force Helmand. Our thoughts are with the soldier's family and friends at this time."
An Afghan military spokesman said a joint commission of Afghan and Nato officers was investigating the assault and attempting to determine whether the killer was a member of the Afghan national army.
The insider attack takes to 439 the number of UK service members to have lost their lives since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001.
The so-called "green on blue" attacks have caused the deaths of all six British soldiers who have died during the current tour, Herrick 17.
Such attacks killed 61 people in 45 incidents in 2012, compared with 35 killed in 21 attacks the previous year, according to Nato.
In some cases militants have worn Afghan army or police uniforms to attack foreign troops. A number of attacks have also been carried out by members of Afghan security forces against their own comrades.In some cases militants have worn Afghan army or police uniforms to attack foreign troops. A number of attacks have also been carried out by members of Afghan security forces against their own comrades.
The attacks came as Nato and Afghan forces are working more closely, with foreign troops handing over security to the Afghans and continuing to train them prior to an almost total withdrawal by the end of 2014. The US will retain a residual force in Afghanistan past that date.