NATO troops killed in Afghanistan were British

"It appears that a member of the Afghan national army opened fire at entrance gate to the British headquarters at Lashkar Gah city, killing the two British service personnel. The assailant was killed by return fire," defence secretary Philip Hammond told parliament.

So-called insider attacks have mounted recently as tension between Afghanistan's government and its foreign backers rises over a series of incidents, including the burning of Korans at a NATO base and a massacre of 17 villagers for which a US soldier was charged.