Afghan soldier 'opens fire' at NATO troops in Kabul: officials

KABUL (AFP) - An Afghan soldier opened fire on Nato troops at a British-run military academy on the outskirts of Kabul on Tuesday, officials said, though they were unable to immediately confirm casualty details.

"We are investigating, but it appears that an Afghan army officer opened fire. Three of our officers have been injured, some ISAF troops have also suffered casualties," General Mohammed Afzal Aman, the chief of staff for operations at the Afghan Ministry of Defence, told AFP.

Incidents in which Afghan forces turn their guns on their allies have killed scores of US-led troops in recent years, breeding fierce mistrust and forcing joint patrols to be monitored by so-called "guardian angels" to provide protection.

"We can confirm that an incident occurred involving local Afghan and ISAF troops at Camp Qargha," Nato's International Security Assistance Force said in a statement.

"The camp, also known as the Kabul ANA Officer Academy, is an Afghan National Security Forces facility. We are in the process of assessing the situation."

Western officials say that most "insider attacks" stem from personal grudges and cultural misunderstandings rather than Taleban insurgent plots.

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