A Stars and Stripes review of media reports reveals at least 14 incidents since March 2009 in which Afghan security forces turned their weapons on coalition personnel, killing 38 American, British, Spanish, German, and Italian soldiers and personnel.

April 16, 2011

Five NATO soldiers were killed along with four Afghan soldiers and an interpreter, after a fifth Afghan soldier walked into a meeting and detonated a vest of explosives he’d hidden under his uniform. The deceased troops’ identities have not yet been released.

Associated Press: www.stripes.com/go/natoattacks

April 4, 2011

Two U.S. soldiers were killed when an Afghan police officer reportedly opened fire as they provided security for a “key leader engagement” with Afghan forces in Maymana district, the capital of Faryab province. Sgt. Scott H. Burgess and Sgt. Michael S. Lammerts, both of the 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, died. The assailant fled, was later tracked down and killed, a NATO spokesman said.

Associated Press: http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-07/news/29393347_1_afghan-police-compound-afghan-troops-afghan-soldier

March 19, 2011

An Afghan security guard opened fire inside a barracks at Forward Operating Base Frontenac in Arghandab Valley, killing Cpl. Donald R. Mickler Jr. and Pfc. Rudy A. Acosta, of the Army’s 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. Four other U.S. soldiers were wounded.

MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42203513/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

Feb. 18, 2011

An Afghan soldier on a joint operation opened fire on a group of soldiers who had just returned from a patrol at Pul-e-Khumri, killing Cpl. Konstantin Menz, Sgt. 1st Class Georg Missulia, and Cpl. Georg Kurat, and wounding seven other soldiers.

Associated Press: www.stripes.com/go/germantroopskilled

Jan. 18, 2011

An Afghan soldier approached two Italian soldiers at a combat outpost in western Badghis province, asking to borrow equipment so he could clean his M-16 rifle. When the Italians noticed that the Afghan soldier’s weapon was loaded, he opened fire. Cpl. Luca Sanna was killed; the other Italian soldier was wounded. The Afghan soldier escaped.

Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/20/us-afghanistan-nato-idUSTRE70J45D20110120

Nov. 29, 2010

An Afghan border police officer on a training mission in Nangarhar province near the Pakistan border drank tea with soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment before opening fire on them, killing six American troops and wounding several others. Killed were Sgt. Barry E. Jarvis, Pfc. Jacob A. Gassen, Pvt. Buddy W. McLain; Spc. Matthew W. Ramsey; Pvt. Austin G. Staggs, and Staff Sgt. Curtis A. Oakes. Two other Americans returned fire and killed the Afghan soldier.

Associated Press: http://militarytimes.com/valor/army-sgt-1st-class-barry-e-jarvis/5149267/

Nov. 4, 2010

An Afghan soldier escaped after he shot and killed two Marines in Helmand province. Killed were Lance Cpls. Brandon W. Pearson and Matthew J. Broehm, of Camp Pendleton’s 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. A NATO official speaking on condition of anonymity said the Afghan soldier had been on base for between two and three weeks before the attack.

News reports including Agence France-Presse: http://militarytimes.com/valor/marine-lance-cpl-brandon-w-pearson/5004464/

Aug. 25, 2010

An Afghan police recruit killed two Spanish police officers and an interpreter in Badghis province as they taught a class to Afghan police. The gunman was then killed by other guards. The Spanish police officers were identified as José María Galera Córdoba and Abraham Leoncio Bravo Picallo; the translator, who was Iranian by birth but had Spanish nationality, was not identified by name.

New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/world/asia/26afghan.html

July 20, 2010

Two unarmed U.S. civilian trainers and an Afghan soldier were killed after another Afghan solider opened fire on them in Balkh province, near Mazar-e-Sharif. L-3 MPRI and Raytheon identified the slain Americans as Michael DiScioscia and Charles R. Buckman. The Afghan soldier was himself killed. “I think it was an isolated incident. It was very unfortunate,” Jack Kem, then deputy to the commander of the NATO training mission, told reporters.

New York Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2010/07/us-contractors-killed-by-angry.html

July 13, 2010

Three British soldiers were killed in “a suspected premeditated attack” by an Afghan soldier in Helmand province. Slain in the attack were Maj. James Joshua Bowman, Lt. Neal Turkington and Cpl. Arjun Purja Pun of 1st Battlion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles. The killer escaped, and a man claiming to be him called the BBC two days later.

UK MOD: http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/MajorJamesJoshuaBowmanLieutenantNealTurkingtonAndCorporalArjunPurjaPunKilledInAfghanistan.htm

Dec. 29, 2009

An Afghan soldier killed an American soldier and wounded two Italians when he opened fire at a base in Bala Morghab. Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Spino, of the 274th Forward Surgical Team, 44th Medical Command, was killed. The Afghan soldier was captured, and would be tried in a military court, a NATO spokesperson said.

Associated Press: http://militarytimes.com/valor/army-staff-sgt-ronald-j-spino/4441954/

Nov. 2, 2009

Five British soldiers were killed, and six British and two Afghan soldiers wounded, when an Afghan police officer opened fire at a police checkpoint in Helmand province. Those killed were Guardsman Jimmy Major, Warrant Officer Darren Chant, Sgt Matthew Telford, Cpl Steven Boote, and Cpl Nicholas Webster-Smith. The assailant, who had reportedly been a police officer for three years, escaped.

The Telegraph (UK): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/6502968/Afghanistan-shooting-how-sanctuary-became-deathtrap-for-five-British-soldiers.html 

Oct. 2, 2009

An Afghan police officer shot and killed Sgt. Aaron Smith, of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, and Pfc. Brandon Owens, of the 118th Military Police Company, in Wardak province. The Afghan police officer escaped. He had worked with U.S. troops for five years before the attack.

USA Today: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/low-troop-morale-afghanistan/story?id=8845147&page=1

March 27, 2009

An Afghan soldier shot and killed two U.S. Navy officers at Camp Shaheen in Mazar-E-Sharif. Despite initial reports that the gunman might have been an impostor in an army uniform, a Navy spokeswoman in Hawaii confirmed that he was in fact an Afghan soldier. Killed were Lt. Florence B. Choe, who served as a Navy nurse, and Lt. j.g. Francis L. Toner IV, an engineer.

Honolulu Advertiser: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2009/Mar/31/ln/hawaii903310336.html

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