WASHINGTON, DC. (THECOUNT) — An Afghan soldier reportedly shot and killed two American service members in Afghanistan, U.S. officials said Monday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Afghan soldier was wounded and is in custody. The shooting took place in Kandahar in the country’s south.
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Sources said they weren’t authorized to speak on the record about details that have not yet been made public.
U.S. Central Command confirmed that two U.S. troops were killed, but provided no details. It said additional information is being withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin is complete.
The U.S. formally ended its Afghan combat mission in 2014 but still provides extensive air and other support to local forces battling both the Taliban and an affiliate of the Islamic State group.
U.S. and allied forces have faced increasing insider attacks in recent years. In November, Brent Taylor, the mayor of North Ogden, Utah, and a major in the Utah National Guard, was killed by an Afghan soldier in Kabul, reports WSMV.
The last six months have seen the Taliban carry out near-daily attacks, mainly targeting Afghan security forces.
Geo quick facts: Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in South-Central Asia. Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east; Iran in the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in the north; and in the far northeast, China – Wikipedia.