Gunman wearing Afghan army uniform kills NATO service member

[News_Editor]

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- A coalition service member was killed Tuesday when a gunman wearing an Afghan army uniform opened fire at foreign troops in southern Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said, declining to give other details.

ISAF said the incident happened when an individual wearing an Afghan National Security Force uniform opened fire at ISAF service members, killing one of them. It happened at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan's volatile southern region that was the birthplace of the Taliban movement two decades ago.

"Afghan National Security Forces have secured the scene at this time. ANSF and ISAF forces are conducting an investigation, and more details will be released as appropriate," the coalition said in a brief statement. The nationality of the service member involved was also not immediately disclosed due to ISAF policy.

Contacted for more information, a spokesperson for the multinational force refused to provide additional details about the location of the incident, whether other ISAF service members were injured, or whether the gunman had been apprehended. "We have no additional operational reporting at this time," the spokesperson said.

Tuesday's death raises the number of coalition troops killed in Afghanistan so far this year to 99, according to official figures. A total of 402 ISAF troops were killed in Afghanistan in 2012, down from 566 fatalities in 2011 and 711 in 2010. A majority of the fallen troops were American and were killed in the country's south, which is plagued by IED attacks on troops and civilians.

There are currently more than 100,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, including some 68,000 U.S. troops and 9,000 British soldiers. Approximately 3,800 British soldiers are expected to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2013, with all foreign combat troops due to leave by the end of 2014.

Last month, Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced the fifth and final phase of security transition in which coalition forces hand over control of the remaining 95 districts - including Taliban stronghold areas in the south and east - to Afghan security forces. ISAF will still be responsible for military air support as well as support in combat operations until the end of 2014.

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