Enemy fighters used white phosphorus in another attack on coalition personnel in the Gayan district of Paktika province, Afghanistan, officials said.

The attack Tuesday comes after a report released May 11 said there have been 38 declassified instances of insurgents having access to white phosphorus and misusing it.

Enemy fighters in the area overseen by Regional Command-East, which includes Paktika, made two other white phosphorus attacks over the past week, according to a news release.

White phosphorus is a smoke-producing agent used for screening troop movements, marking targets and illuminating an area and is not designed for use against personnel.

It burns fiercely and has a tendency to stick to skin. It continues to burn until it is completely consumed unless it is deprived of oxygen.

A unit with the International Security Assistance Force found nine 82 mm white phosphorus mortar rounds May 16 in Bamiyan with a large weapons cache. The same day, an ISAF unit found a 107 mm white phosphorus rocket aimed at a forward operating base in Nangahar province.

The Geneva Conventions ban the use of incendiary weapons against civilian populations. The International Security Assistance Force uses white phosphorus "in accordance with theatre rules of engagement and international law," officials said in the release.

Report: Insurgents had U.S.-supplied ammo

Stars and StripesMideast edition, Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Ammunition collected from dead insurgents after a recent battle in Afghanistan suggests the Taliban may be arming itself with weapons and ordnance originally given to Afghan security forces by the U.S. military, The New York Times reported.

Of 30 rifle magazines collected after fighting in the Korengal Valley, the paper wrote, at least 17 contained such cartridges. The determination was based on examination by a Times reporter and interviews with U.S. officers and arms dealers.

In February, the Government Accountability Office criticized the military for failing to keep track of rifles issued to Afghan security forces. In at least one case, the weapons were found to have been used by insurgent forces during a battle in which nine U.S. servicemembers died.

The military responded by putting several safeguards in place, including a database of small arms provided to Afghan forces, the Times noted, adding that no such measures have been taken in regard to ammunition.

U.S. officials do not investigate all captured arms and ammunition to determine whether they may have been supplied, directly or indirectly, by the Afghan government, the Times wrote.