Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Five British soldiers from Task Force Helmand have been shot dead by an Afghan police officer.

Three grenadier guards and two members of the Royal Military Police, who had been mentoring the Afghan national police at the time, were shot after removing their body armour and helmets at a police checkpoint. Two Afghan police are also reported to have been killed in the attack.

Task Force Helmand spokesman Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield said the attack took place inside a checkpoint near the village of Shin Kalay, just outside the centre of Nad Ali district.

"They worked and lived there, they had done for the last two weeks with Afghan national policemen, and it would appear that - our initial understanding of what went on is that - an individual Afghan national policeman, possibly acting in conjunction with one other, started firing from within the checkpoint before fleeing the scene," said Wakefield.

The attack represents Britain's bloodiest day in Afghanistan since July, when five men were killed by improvised explosive devices on Helmand's Pharmacy Road. The five casualties bring the total number of British soldiers killed this year to 92.

The incident is being investigated by the Royal Military Police and the Afghan authorities.