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Afghan officer kills Nato soldier as death toll for year reaches 38

Another Nato soldier was killed yesterday by an Afghan police officer, raising the coalition death toll from so-called “green on blue” shootings to nine in 11 days as the US urged Kabul to step up screening of recruits.

The growing insider threat has eroded trust between Nato and its Afghan allies, causing a headache for Western powers who are planning to pull out most of their troops by the end of 2014.

US defence secretary Leon Panetta and Afghan president Hamid Karzai agreed to boost vetting of Afghan recruits to try to end to the spiralling attacks, averaging one a week and surpassing last year’s toll.

Panetta also urged the president during a telephone call to work with Nato to boost counter-intelligence efforts and speak more to village elders who have ties to the army and police, the Pentagon stated.

“They expressed shared concern over this issue and agreed that American and Afghan officials should work even more closely together to minimise the potential” for future attacks, it added.

The latest killing took place in the Spin Boldak district of southern Kandahar. Another foreign solder was wounded. Officials said early inquires showed no sign of Taliban involvement.

This year’s death toll of Nato forces and contractors killed by their Afghan partners stands at 38 in 31 incidents compared to 35 dead in 21 attacks for all of 2011.

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