by Bronx Bombers » Sat Feb 25, 2012 8:26 am
HOME > NEWS > WORLD NEWS
Afghan policeman kills two US officers in shooting over Koran burning
Last Updated: 9:55 AM, February 25, 2012
KABUL -- An Afghan police officer shot dead two high-ranking US military advisers Saturday in an attack claimed by the Taliban inside a highly-secure command center at Afghanistan's interior ministry.
The two American advisers -- who held the rank of colonel and major -- were shot in the head by an Afghan policeman who was upset about the burning of Korans earlier this week at a US military base.
NATO confirmed in a statement only that there were two fatalities in a shooting in Kabul on Saturday.
"Initial reports indicate an individual turned his weapon against International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service members in Kabul City today [Saturday], killing two servicemembers," a NATO statement said.
The Taliban, however, in claiming responsibility for the attack, said that four advisers were killed.
In a statement on its website, the Taliban said "a hero mujahid Abdul Rahman" killed four advisers over the burning of Korans at a US-run military base.
The shooting took place in the heart of Kabul at the busy interior ministry compound, filled with hundreds of Afghan police officers, officials told The Wall Street Journal.
Some reports said the shooting was a result of a "verbal clash," AFP reported.
The incident came after demonstrators tried to storm the United Nations compound in the northeastern city of Kunduz on Saturday.
At least four people were killed when the protesters -- some armed with guns -- converged on the UN offices, according to the provincial governor's office.
Fury over an attempt by coalition soldiers to burn a truckload of Islamic books, including copies of the Koran, at Bagram Air Field has shown no signs of diminishing.
In a wave of unrest now in its fifth day, protesters targeted Afghan government buildings and Western offices.
At least 27 people have been killed, including two US soldiers shot by an Afghan officer Thursday.
Southern Afghanistan -- the heartland of the Taliban insurgency -- has been the only part of the country to avoid deadly confrontations so far.