timesofearth | July 13, 2010

http://www.timesofearth.com/Worldnews... Kabul - An Afghan soldier is on the run after killing three British Gurkha-Nepali soldiers in southern Helmand province.

Several other soldiers were wounded in the attack near Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of the restive province where about 9,000 British troops fighting Taliban forces are based.

The troops killed were Gurkhas, who are drawn from Nepal.
"We confirm that an Afghan army solider has opened fire and killed three British soldiers," Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the Afghan defence ministry spokesman, said.

An investigation into the incident is under way, officials said.

"This is a combined, joint mission, Afghan and Alliance troopers fighting shoulder-to-shoulder against the Taliban and other extremists," General David Petraeus, US and Nato commander in Afghanistan, said in a statement.

"We have sacrificed greatly together, and we must ensure that the trust between our forces remains solid in order to defeat our common enemies.

"On behalf of all the troopers of Isaf [International Security Assistance Force], I offer sincere condolences to the families and the fellow service members of our fallen comrades."

Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, sent a letter of condolence to Nato and Britain and offered his apologies over the incident.

Waheed Omar, a spokesman for the president, said that Karzai had asked the defence ministry to find out more about the incident.

"If it is confirmed, it's a very unfortunate attack and the government of Afghanistan will do everything to make sure the proper traitors are brought to justice," he said.

Tuesday's deaths bring to 356 the number of foreign troops to have died in the Afghan war so far this year, according to an AFP news agency tally based on a count kept by icasualties.org.

The total number for the whole of last year was 520 people.

In November, an Afghan police officer killed five British troops at a checkpoint in Helmand, where the UK has more than 9,000 soldiers.


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