Afghanistan: Uniformed Man Opens Fire on Foreign Troops at British-Run Military Academy

A man in an army uniform has opened fire on foreign troops at an British-run military academy in Afghanistan, killing one Nato soldier and wounding 15 others, according to an Afghan military spokesman.

The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) spokesman said in a statement that it was investigating an "incident" at Camp Qargha involving Afghan and Nato troops.

The German military confirmed that one person had been killed in the attack and 15 troops wounded. A US official said that "about a dozen" of the 15 wounded in the attack were Americans. An Afghan commander was also injured.

The base is an Afghan army facility west of Kabul which trains officers for the army and is known as "Sandhurst in the Sand" because of its similarities to the famous British military academy.

"We can confirm that an incident occurred involving local Afghan and Isaf troops at Camp Qargha today in Kabul City, Afghanistan," said the Isaf spokesman.

"The Camp, also known as the Kabul ANA Officer Academy, is an Afghan National Security Forces facility. We are in the process of assessing the situation. More information will be released as we sort out the facts."

A British Ministry of Defence spokesman said that the department is investigating reports of a shooting at the academy.

"We are aware of reports of an incident at Qargha. The incident is under investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

General Mohammed Afzal Aman, chief of staff at the Afghan Ministry of Defence, said: "We are investigating, but it appears that an Afghan army officer opened fire.

"Three of our officers have been injured. Isaf troops have also suffered casualties. Isaf have quarantined the site, allowing nobody including Afghan forces to approach."

This is another case of an "insider attack", common incidents in Afghanistan where domestic troops turn their back on their international partners because of various grievances, including resentment at the international presence in the country.

The Taliban occasionally claims the attacks as evidence that it has infiltrated the foreign presence in the country.