NATO suspends training of Afghan security forces

2 September 2012, 16:54 (GMT+05:00)

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International troops in Afghanistan have suspended their training programme for Afghan security forces following a spate of attacks on foreign soldiers by Afghans in uniform, a NATO spokesman said Sunday, DPA reported.

"We have temporarily suspended all new Afghan recruits until Afghan soldiers are investigated for ties with the insurgents. We are concerned about the insiders attacks and we are in process of vetting the Afghan troops," said James Graybeal, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

"It is an attempt by ISAF and our Afghan partners to reduce the number of insider threats," he added.

The decision comes after a surge in so-called "green-on-blue" attacks by Afghan security personnel on foreign soldiers. Officials fear the Taliban insurgency may have infiltrated the recruitment programme.

Some 50 coalition troops have been killed during attacks by Afghans in police and army uniform this year alone.