NATO death rattles relations
Man dressed in Afghan uniform kills service member in latest turncoat attack
KABUL, Afghanistan — A man in an Afghan police uniform shot and killed an international service member on Sunday, NATO said, raising the death toll to 10 in such attacks in the space of just two weeks.
The surge in violence by Afghan allies against their international partners has raised doubts about the ability of the two forces to work together at a key transition time. Afghan forces are expected to take over security for the country by the end of 2014, when the majority of international combat forces are scheduled to leave.
On the other side, a coalition air strike killed dozens of Taliban militants, including one of their leaders, officials said.
Few details were immediately available about Sunday’s killing of a coalition member in southern Afghanistan. NATO said only that they and Afghan authorities were investigating. Afghan officials could not be reached for comment.
The Taliban have been actively recruiting members of the Afghan security forces, saying in a statement last week that they considered these turncoat attacks a major part of their strategy against international forces.
Once an anomaly, these attacks have been climbing in recent months. There have been 30 such turncoat attacks so far this year, up from 11 in 2011.
On Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called Afghan President Hamid Karzaito encourage him to work with U.S. commanders to ensure more rigorous vetting of Afghan recruits.
On Friday, it was disclosed that U.S. troops have been ordered to carry loaded weapons at all times in Afghanistan, even when they are on their bases. The order was a precaution against such insider attacks.
The month-long Ramadan fasting period that ended Sunday has been particularly violent. The Eidal-Fitr holiday on Sunday continued the trend.
Insurgents killed two pairs of brothers with links to the government as well as three NATO service members in three separate attacks.
NATO forces confirmed that three coalition service members were killed in a bombing, but did not provide their nationalities or other details.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.
Including Sunday’s deaths, at least 41 international troops have been killed so far this month in Afghanistan.
In a speech marking the holiday, Karzai condemned the Ramadan attacks. “The enemies of Muslims . . . during the holy month of Ramadan treated the nation of Afghanistan cruelly: bombs, explosions in mosques, suicide attacks in mosques,” Karzai said.
He challenged the Taliban to disavow them.
“If you are not behind this, it is being done in your name. As Muslims, as Afghans, raise your voice and say that you did not do it,” he appealed.
In a message ahead of Eid al-Fitr, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar instructed his fighters once again to avoid killing or wounding Afghan civilians.