KABUL, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Three soldiers of the NATO-led coalition forces were killed Saturday when a man in Afghan army uniform opened fire against coalition troops in eastern Afghanistan.
It was the latest in a series of attacks when Afghan soldiers or gunmen in their uniform open fire against foreign soldiers.
"Three International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service members were killed today when an individual wearing an ANA uniform turned his weapon against the ISAF service members in eastern Afghanistan. ISAF and Afghan officials are assessing the incident and more information will be released when it becomes available," the ISAF said in a press statement.
The statement did not disclose the nationalities of the victims, only saying "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities."
Troops mostly from the United States have been stationed in eastern Afghanistan within the framework of ISAF.
local media reported that the incident took place in Khir Kot district of the eastern Paktika province at midday.
If the attacker confirmed to be a member of Afghan army, the Saturday's attack will be the fifth incident of insider attack in the country since beginning this year. Four American and one British soldiers as well as a civilian contractor of the ISAF have been killed in four insider attacks so far this year.
In 2012, more than 45 such incident took place, killing more than 60 foreign soldiers across the country.
The coalition military officials have recently said that about 25 percent of the insider attacks are in some manner related to the Taliban-led insurgency.
Earlier on Saturday, one Italian soldier was killed and three troopers were wounded in an insurgent attack in western Farah province.
The Saturday's deaths have brought to 85 the number of foreign soldiers killed in Afghanistan since January.
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