The shooting at US forces was done by a soldier who wore Afghan Army uniform, collaborating with US • US Army: "The motive behind the attack is still unknown"

• US Army post in Nangarare Province in eastern Afghanistan // Photo: AFP

Two American soldiers were killed and six others injured during the night between Saturday and Sunday, in what is termed an internal attack in Nangarare province in eastern Afghanistan. The United States military said the attack occurred by an armed Afghan soldier who was wearing an Afghan army uniform while firing at U.S. soldiers.

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Colonel Sonny Leggett, spokesman for the US forces stationed in Afghanistan, said this incident happened after a joint exercise by the Afghan and US forces in the region. "We are still gathering information and the reason or motive behind the attack is still unknown at this time," Leggett said in a statement.

In honor of Thanksgiving: Trump made a surprise visit to Afghanistan // Photo: Reuters

A member of Afghanistan's Nangarare County Council, Ajmal Omar, told the Associated Press that the shooter who carried out the attack was killed, adding that at least one Afghan soldier was killed in the incident. A senior Afghan defense minister, who chose not to be identified because he was not allowed to speak to the media, said the shooter was an Afghan soldier who got into an argument with the US force instead before he opened fire. The shooter was not a Taliban fighter according to the senior official.

In the past, several incidents of shooting and assault by Afghan military forces have occurred on their allies during the 18-year United States war in the country. Six US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of the year, while 22 US soldiers were killed last year in operational operations in the country.

US troops in Afghanistan // Photo: AFP

In a statement issued by the United States Army, they emphasized that the incident was not part of routine U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan and that U.S. troops were not the only target. "A single in the Afghan army uniform opened fire on the combined force of the United States and Afghanistan with a machine gun."

Last July, two U.S. Army personnel were killed after an Afghan soldier opened fire on them and two months later, in September of 2019, three U.S. soldiers were wounded when a member of the Afghan Order Police opened fire on a military convoy.

This event is under the shadow of increasing efforts by the United States, Afghanistan and the Taliban to reach a ceasefire agreement that will end the long war in the country. In recent weeks, US and Taliban freight teams have been on hand to discuss the signing of a peace agreement.

Taliban peace talks with the United States // Photo: Reuters

Afghanistan is seen as a scene of struggle between the US and the Taliban, dating back to 2001, when the al-Qaeda terrorist organization occupied a central position since the days of Osama Bin Laden. Signing the Taliban-US understanding agreement is a significant source of hope for ending the fighting in a country that is already waging Close to 19 years.