The video shows Brigadier General Günter Katz reporting the death of yet another British soldier in Afghanistan.
The dead soldier was a member of 28 Engineering Regiment, attached to 21 Engineer Regiment (The Black Rats), and was part of a team preparing Nato bases for handover to Afghan forces.
Six British soldiers were also wounded in the attack, which began with an argument among Afghan troops. Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
Afghan officials said the man responsible was a soldier, nicknamed Shiekh, from the east country, who often led prayers.
The killing is the latest in a string of insider attacks that threatens to undermine the transition from international forces to local troops due to be completed by the end of 2014.
3.800 British troops are scheduled to leave Afghanistan in December 2014, with the remaining 5,200 at the end of the following year.
The latest attack takes the number of UK service personnel who have lost their lives since this war began to 439.
The past year has seen a surge in so-called 'green on blue' attacks leading to the deaths of more than 60 international troops and raising questions about whether a strategy of training local forces to take on responsibility for security can be successful. These attacks will continue to escalate as troops withdraw from the country. The taliban want to government their country and little will stop them.
The dead soldier was a member of 28 Engineering Regiment, attached to 21 Engineer Regiment (The Black Rats), and was part of a team preparing Nato bases for handover to Afghan forces.
Six British soldiers were also wounded in the attack, which began with an argument among Afghan troops. Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
Afghan officials said the man responsible was a soldier, nicknamed Shiekh, from the east country, who often led prayers.
The killing is the latest in a string of insider attacks that threatens to undermine the transition from international forces to local troops due to be completed by the end of 2014.
3.800 British troops are scheduled to leave Afghanistan in December 2014, with the remaining 5,200 at the end of the following year.
The latest attack takes the number of UK service personnel who have lost their lives since this war began to 439.
The past year has seen a surge in so-called 'green on blue' attacks leading to the deaths of more than 60 international troops and raising questions about whether a strategy of training local forces to take on responsibility for security can be successful. These attacks will continue to escalate as troops withdraw from the country. The taliban want to government their country and little will stop them.
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6 comments:
Our obstinate politicians continue to sacrifice others' lives, in senseless pursuit of an unwinnable objective, where our brave armed forces will have to ignominiously withdraw, having achieved sweet FA.
Not because of any deficiency in their skills or bravery, but because Blair & his government were inept in deciding to send them there.
They always use the same phrases such as 'suspected ANA' and 'a gunman in Afghan military uniform' in order to infer it wasn't one of our allies really. Despite the gunman being well known and despite it being 24 hrs after the event.
RIP and a good recovery to the other soldiers.
Way back in time, the leader of the tribe led his men,and sometimes women into battle. Sometimes a good leader was lost, but it also lost a lot of incompetent "leaders".
Perhaps this should be reinstituted, the ones leading the charge might think before charging.
The attitude of at least one person in uniform ,talking to a camera, seemed to be that,"well they know the risks". Yes they do know the risks but the risks are much higher
than needed to be.The lesson of history is that none of the people of the country want foreigners there and we have had almost 200 years to learn it. Our leaders don't appear to be able to learn from history, they are slow learners so we repeat it.
And remind me again why we are there?
You're right Joe and I can see it getting worse once we've withdrawn about a third.
Military language is one on its own Monty. Difficult to report.
I'm all for that Apogee.
To boost some individual egos is my answer.
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