Two US troops killed by Afghan soldier

KABUL: Two American troops were killed and six others wounded by an Afghan soldier armed with a machine gun, the US military confirmed on Sunday.

The deaths come at a sensitive time in the 18-year-old war, with President Donald Trump eager to bring troops home and end the longest conflict in US history. The incident occurred late on Saturday at a base in Sherzad district, in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan.

"Current reports indicate an individual in an Afghan uniform opened fire on the combined US and Afghan force with a machine gun," US Forces-Afghanistan spokesman Sonny Leggett said in a statement on Sunday.

The defence ministry said one Afghan soldier was killed and three local security forces injured during the shooting, and added that an investigation had been launched while vowing to continue fighting "terrorism" with the US.