A training programme for 1,000 Afghan security forces has been suspended, US officials said Sunday, to re-screen current members of the Afghan Local Police following attacks on foreign soldiers by Afghans in uniform. Officials fear the Taliban may have infiltrated the recruitment programme. The decision came after a surge in the so-called "green-on-blue" attacks - those by Afghan security personnel on foreign soldiers.
"Current partnered operations have and will continue, even as we temporarily suspend training of about 1,000 new ALP (Afghan Local Police) recruits while re-vetting current members," said Thomas Collins, a US forces spokesman.
He said the Nato-led international coalition had "full trust and confidence" in the Afghan security forces. But added that, "We believe this is a necessary step to validate our vetting process and ensure the quality indicative of Afghan Local Police."
ALP was established to fight the Taliban in remote areas. The suspension would not affect the training of Afghan army and national police personnel.
On Friday, an Afghan Army soldier shot dead three Australian soldiers in southern Uruzgan province, taking to 45 the number killed by Afghans in uniform this year.
Taliban leader Mullah Omar said in August that the insurgents had successfully infiltrated the Afghan security forces and urged more of its members "to display the same boldness and spirit" as those who had attacked the US and its allies.
James Graybeal, a spokesman for the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said: "We are concerned about the insider attacks and we are in process of vetting the Afghan troops. "It is an attempt by ISAF and our Afghan partners to reduce the number of insider threats."
The decision was being discussed in the Interior Ministry, its spokesman Seddiq Seddiqi told dpa. "We would like to see the continuation of these training programmes."
Nato confirmed Sunday that an insurgent arrested last week was a member of the Afghan police who used his status to conduct an attack in May in which two coalition soldiers died in Helmand province.
He was arrested during an operation in eastern Nangarhar province. "Prior to his capture, he was attempting to join the Afghan Army," it said.
Meanwhile, 11 civilians were killed and nine wounded in an attack by a pro-government militia in a village outside the northern city of Kunduz, said the provincial governor, Mohammad Anwar Jegdalek.