ISAF reports that one of its soldiers was killed by “three individuals in Afghan Police uniforms” in the south:
The International Security Assistance Force confirms that three individuals in Afghan Police uniforms turned their weapons against coalition service members in southern Afghanistan yesterday, killing one ISAF service member.
The three individuals immediately fled the area and are currently being sought.
The incident is under investigation.
It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.
Afghan security forces have now killed 24 ISAF soldiers in 2012. The last “green-on-blue” attack that resulted in the death of an ISAF soldier took place on May 12, when two British soldiers were killed and two more were wounded by members of the Afghan Uniformed Police in Helmand province.
Background on green-on-blue attacks this year
Afghan security personnel are now estimated to have killed 86 ISAF soldiers since May 2007. Twenty-four of the 86 ISAF soldiers, or more than 25 percent, have been killed this year. These attacks have taken place in all areas in Afghanistan, not just in the south and east.
ISAF has not disclosed the number of incidents in which ISAF soldiers were wounded by ANSF personnel, or the attacks on ISAF personnel that did not result in casualties. ISAF told The Long War Journal in March that “these statistics … [are ] … classified.”
“[A]ttacks by ANSF on Coalition Forces … either resulting in non-injury, injury or death … these stats as a whole (the total # attacks) are what is classified and not releasable,” Lieutenant Colonel Jimmie Cummings, ISAF’s Press Desk Chief, told The Long War Journal. Cummings said that ISAF is “looking to declassify this number.” Nearly two months later, the data remains classified.
Inquiries as to why the overall statistic is classified went unanswered.
In May, ISAF commander General John Allen said that about half of the “green-on-blue” attacks have been carried out by Taliban infiltrators. The Taliban routinely take credit for these attacks.
The rise in attacks against ISAF troops by Afghan personnel takes place as ISAF is seeking to accelerate the transition of security responsibility to Afghan forces. The plan calls for an increase in the number of ISAF trainers as well as more partnering of ISAF and Afghan units, and will heighten Coalition troops’ exposure to green-on-blue attacks. The US military has become so concerned with the green-on-blue attacks that it has ordered units to designate “guardian angels” in each unit whose job is to provide security for troops working with Afghans.
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4 Comments
hopefully when these people are apprehended we let elements of the NDS assist in the interrogation
I really feel as terrible as they are, we just have to endure these attacks against us.
I do not see how we can effectively combat this type of attack while at the same time trying to train and enable out Afghan Couterparts to take over their own security responsibilities.
My condolences to the family of the brave ISAF Soldier who died as a result of this cowardly act. An act committed by men too afraid to stand up and fight one to one against real Warriors such as this Soldier who died.
I just hope that the politically escalated withdrawal timetable hasn’t caused us to compromise the vetting process for ANF recruits. It didn’t seem like we had this level of problem in Iraq – perhaps because of the less accelerated SOFA timetable there?
Part of the problem is the accelerated withdrawl timeline. The recruits are being brought in off the street and the vetting process is being shortened because of the political pressure that is being brought to bear with the election on the horizon. Ending the wars was a major campain promise. As long as politics are allowed to play a part, there will always be corners that are cut to speed up the vetting process.