2 NATO officers murdered by Afghan policeman

Officials say the officers helped train the man who shot them dead on Saturday. At least 47 international service members have died at the hands of Afghan officers this year.

Weapons collected from insurgents who surrendered under a U.S.-backed Afghan government amnesty program.


Two members of a United States-led coalition force were murdered Saturday by an Afghan policeman they helped train, officials said.

The two NATO officers, whose identities and country of origin were not immediately released, were shot to death by a member of the Afghan Local Police, according to the Associated Press.

The gunman was then killed by other NATO soldiers, officials said.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the shooting, the latest in a disturbing spike in so-called “green on blue” attacks, in which locals turn on their Western allies.

So far this year, at least 47 international service members have died at the hands of Afghan officers.

Though some of those attacks were carried about by insurgents who penetrated the police, others were led by militia members who previously seemed loyal.

There were 12 such attacks last month alone, resulting in at least 15 deaths, according to officials.

The surge in violence could impact NATO’s plan to withdraw most of its trops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.