Afghan Soldier Kills Three US Contractors

The victims, who were employed under a Defence Department contract, died from gunshot wounds

An Afghan soldier has killed three US contractors at Kabul's military airport, US officials have confirmed.

A fourth US contractor was wounded in Thursday evening's apparent insider attack, an Afghan air force official has told Reuters. 

A US official said: "I can confirm that there was a shooting incident at North Kabul International Airport complex 29 January at approximately 6:40pm. 

"Three coalition contractors were killed as was an Afghan local national. This incident is under investigation."

The victims, who were employed under a US Defence Department contract, died from gunshot wounds.

It is not known what prompted Thursday's killings, or what happened to the attacker.

But it came on the day the White House was criticised for declining to describe the Taliban as a terrorist group.

Spokesman Josh Earnest said: "They do carry out tactics that are akin to terrorism. They do pursue terror attacks in an effort to advance their agenda.

"What's also true though is that it is important to draw a distinction between the Taliban and al Qaeda."

Republicans have been sending footage of Mr Earnest’s comments to supporters.

The Treasury Department has imposed anti-terrorism sanctions on around 2,000 Taliban fighters, leaders, supporters and financiers.

A rise in insider attacks in Afghanistan in the final years of the international combat mission prompted foreign forces to take extra security measures and limit their interaction with locals in uniform.

One of the worst such attacks last August claimed the life of US Major General Harold Greene, the most senior American military official to die in action overseas since the war in Vietnam.

The US combat mission in Afghanistan ended in 2014.

The new mission, Resolute Support, which involves about 12,000 mostly US troops, began this year to train Afghanistan's national security force.