Afghan soldier attacks US troops at Camp Sheheen

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Afghan soldiers stand guard as military ambulances enter a military base a day after it was targeted by the militants in Balkh province, Afghanistan, 22 April 2017Image source, EPA
Image caption,
An Afghan soldier opened fire at a base in the north. Pictured: Soldiers outside the base in April

An Afghan soldier has attacked US troops at a military base, wounding seven.

The US soldiers were evacuated after the "insider attack" in the northern Balkh province on Saturday, a spokesman for the US military command said.

The Nato-led Resolute Support mission said one Afghan soldier was killed and another injured in the incident at Camp Shaheen, in Mazar-e Sharif city.

But earlier reports of American soldiers being killed were dismissed.

It is not clear whether the soldier killed was also the attacker.

The Taliban have said the shooting was carried out by a man loyal to them, according to Reuters.

Resolute Support said the attack, which took place at about 14:00 local time (09:30 GMT), was under investigation.

It comes a week after an Afghan army commando shot dead three US special forces soldiers in eastern Afghanistan.

The Taliban claimed to be behind that attack.

The Taliban also said they were behind another attack in Mazar-e Sharif in April, when more than 100 Afghan soldiers were killed or wounded at the base, home to the Afghan army's 209th Corps.

The army said insurgents targeted those leaving Friday prayers at the base's mosque and others in a canteen.