Two French soldiers were killed on Thursday when an Afghan army soldier shot at them deliberately while their unit was engaged in a support mission for Afghanistan's forces in the Tagab valley, President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said. The shooting was the latest in a string of attacks by "rogue" soldiers and police, or by insurgents who had infiltrated security forces, that have killed dozens of foreign soldiers.
It was also the second such incident in a week, after a December 24 attack in western Farah province in which an Afghan army spokesman said four Americans were wounded. The shooter, who had spent 14 months in the army, was killed on the spot, he added. The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said an Afghan soldier had turned his weapon on ISAF forces on December 24, but declined further comment.