Police Kills US Troop İn Afghanistan

Another Afghan policeman kills a US soldier, raising fears that the Taliban insurgents may have infiltrated the country's security forces.

The incident took place in the eastern province of Paktia after the policeman hurled a grenade and opened fire on a US military foot patrol on Thursday.

The patrol was returning to a base in Bermel district when they were attacked by the policeman, who was standing on a tower, the US military said in a statement.

The US soldiers returned fire, killing the Afghan officer, reports said.

It was the second attack by a policeman on US soldiers in eastern Afghanistan in less than a month. In September, a US-led NATO soldier was shot dead by an Afghan policeman in the same province.

Militants in Afghanistan have in the past disguised themselves in police or army uniforms when attacking Afghan and foreign troops, but real policemen were responsible for the attacks Thursday and last month.

Sources said the anti-US sentiments were even on rise among the Afghan security forces after the US-led airstrikes caused massive civilian casualties.

The death raised the number of international soldiers who lost their lives this year in Afghanistan to 230, according an official count.

The recent developments come after the US-led coalition forces experienced some of the most violent attacks since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. More foreign troops are now being killed in Afghanistan than in Iraq.

Seven years of western military presence in Afghanistan has led to more insecurity, a record opium production surge and a sharply upward spiral of civilian lives lost to American airstrikes and suicide bombers.

More than 4,700 people have been killed in insurgency-related violence in the country this year.