Two NATO soldiers dead in Afghan 'insider attack': Coalition

Gunmen wearing Afghan military uniforms shot dead two NATO soldiers on a base in the country's south on Saturday, the coalition said, in the latest insider attack on foreign troops.

"Two Resolute Support (NATO) service members died this morning when two individuals wearing Afghan (security) uniforms opened fire... in southern Afghanistan," the coalition said, without specifying their nationalities.

"Resolute Support members returned fire and killed the shooters." NATO did not disclose the location of the attack, saying it was jointly investigating the incident with Afghan forces.

So-called "green-on-blue" attacks -- when Afghan soldiers or police turn their guns on international troops -- have been a major problem during NATO's long years fighting alongside Afghan forces. The Taliban did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack. The insurgents last month announced the start of their annual spring offensive, vowing "large-scale attacks" across Afghanistan.

Western officials say that most such attacks stem from personal grudges and cultural misunderstandings rather than insurgent plots. The killings have bred fierce mistrust between local and foreign forces even as the rate of such incidents has dropped in recent years.

NATO ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in December 2014, pulling out a bulk of its troops although a 13,000-strong residual force remains for training and counter-terrorism operations.