Official: 3 US marines shot dead & killed by Afghan cop in Helmand

	Official: 3 US marines shot dead & killed by Afghan cop in Helmand Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A man in an Afghan military uniform killed three US troops Friday in southern Afghanistan, the latest in a series of assaults against NATO soldiers by Afghans clad in security force garb. The man opened fire on the troops in the volatile Helmand province, said Maj. Lori Hodge, a spokeswoman for the International Assistance Security Force. Hodge did not immediately provide details about the attack, one of a handful in recent weeks to target NATO troops. A Defense Department official said the three troops killed were part of a Special Operations Forces mission to stabilize a village in the Sarwan Qala area. They were meeting with local officials. NATO and Afghan troops have been searching for the gunman. "It is too early to say that this latest incident is part of a stepped-up effort on the insurgents' part," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "We know they are trying to maximize media exposure of these events but our military believes that the operational impact has been negligible. Nonetheless these incidents do concern us and our hearts go out to all the victims and their families." In the strikes, known as "green-on-blue" attacks, Afghan security forces or militants dressed as local police or soldiers target coalition troops. The problem has sapped troop morale, and coalition forces have been working to address it. Earlier this year, Gen. John Allen, commander of the NATO-led force, said the systems that Afghans and coalition forces had <b>...</b>	From: TheAbdaliBacha Views: 18 1 ratings
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