KABUL-- An Afghan policewoman has been detained in Kabul after shooting dead a foreign civilian contractor working to train the Afghan National Police.
It is the first so-called "insider" attack against foreign troops or security contractors to be carried out by an Afghan woman.
On December 24, Brigadier General John Madower, spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), confirmed that the male contractor was shot dead inside the Kabul police headquarters compound.
"Today at the Kabul police headquarters, a civilian member of ISAF, a police mentor, was shot and sadly died," he said. "The perpetrator is in the custody of the Afghan authorities. She was dressed as a member of the Afghan uniformed police although her affiliation with the police is not known at this point in time. There is a joint Afghan-ISAF investigation ongoing."
According to The Associated Press news agency, Abdul Jabar Taqwa, the governor of Kabul, identified the suspected shooter as Afghan police sergeant Nargis. The 33-year-old is a mother of four and had worked for the human rights department of the police for two years.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Kabul Deputy Police Chief General Dawood Amin confirmed that the suspected female shooter had been a member of the police.
"She is a longtime employee of the Afghan police and worked in the gender rights section of Afghanistan's Interior Ministry," he said. "She came here to police headquarters for some case and shot dead a civilian adviser who is a contractor from [the U.S. firm] DynCorp who worked at our headquarters."
Meanwhile, in northern Afghanistan, a local police officer in Jowjzan Province shot dead five of his colleagues.
Provincial Police chief Abdullah Aziz Ghairat told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that the officer fled and turned himself over to Taliban fighters. A Taliban spokesman confirmed the officer's defection.
This year alone, more than 60 international troops and civilian advisers have been killed by Afghan soldiers or police officers.
In response to so-called "insider" attacks, NATO has stepped up its training effort.
It is trying to train some 350,000 Afghan soldiers and police by the end of 2014 as it transfers all security responsibilities to Afghan forces.
It is the first so-called "insider" attack against foreign troops or security contractors to be carried out by an Afghan woman.
On December 24, Brigadier General John Madower, spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), confirmed that the male contractor was shot dead inside the Kabul police headquarters compound.
"Today at the Kabul police headquarters, a civilian member of ISAF, a police mentor, was shot and sadly died," he said. "The perpetrator is in the custody of the Afghan authorities. She was dressed as a member of the Afghan uniformed police although her affiliation with the police is not known at this point in time. There is a joint Afghan-ISAF investigation ongoing."
According to The Associated Press news agency, Abdul Jabar Taqwa, the governor of Kabul, identified the suspected shooter as Afghan police sergeant Nargis. The 33-year-old is a mother of four and had worked for the human rights department of the police for two years.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Kabul Deputy Police Chief General Dawood Amin confirmed that the suspected female shooter had been a member of the police.
"She is a longtime employee of the Afghan police and worked in the gender rights section of Afghanistan's Interior Ministry," he said. "She came here to police headquarters for some case and shot dead a civilian adviser who is a contractor from [the U.S. firm] DynCorp who worked at our headquarters."
Meanwhile, in northern Afghanistan, a local police officer in Jowjzan Province shot dead five of his colleagues.
Provincial Police chief Abdullah Aziz Ghairat told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that the officer fled and turned himself over to Taliban fighters. A Taliban spokesman confirmed the officer's defection.
This year alone, more than 60 international troops and civilian advisers have been killed by Afghan soldiers or police officers.
In response to so-called "insider" attacks, NATO has stepped up its training effort.
It is trying to train some 350,000 Afghan soldiers and police by the end of 2014 as it transfers all security responsibilities to Afghan forces.