An Afghan policeman shot to death nine of his fellow officers as they slept in a village in an eastern Taliban stronghold on Friday, police said, blaming the attack on the insurgents.
The gunman opened fire with his assault rifle after waking up at 3 a.m. ostensibly to take over guard duty at a small command post in Paktika province, killing everybody inside, including the commander, according to officials. He then took their weapons, piled them in a pickup truck and sped away.
It was the latest in a growing number of attacks by Afghan security forces against their own people or against international troops in Afghanistan in recent years, some the result of arguments and others by insurgent infiltrators.
Provincial police chief Dawlat Khan Zadran said the incident took place in Yayakhil town of Yayakhil district.
