A pair of men clad in Afghan security force uniforms shot and killed two NATO troops at a military base in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, according to officials.
The New York Times reported that the shooting occurred at a base in the Helmand province in Afghanistan, areas of which have recently been seized by Taliban insurgents.
According to a U.S. official, the two NATO soldiers killed in the shooting were U.S. forces. NATO explained in a statement that two men wearing "Afghan National Defense and Security Forces uniforms" fired at a vehicle in which international soldiers were riding, after which the NATO troops returned fire and killed both gunmen.
According to authorities in Afghanistan, the shooting is believed to have been spurred by an argument.
The head of Helmand’s provincial council, Karim Atal, said of the incident, "First, there was an argument between an army officer and the foreign soldiers, and it ended in shooting." He claimed the gun attack took place on the Shorab military base, though NATO has declined to disclose the location.
NATO also has not yet identified the nationalities of the shooters. The uniforms worn by the gunmen typically belong to members of the Afghan police, military and border patrol.
Taliban forces in the past have disguised themselves in Afghan uniforms to carry out attacks on international forces. No group has yet taken responsibility for the attack.
The incident represents the third "insider attack" on foreign troops in the country thus far this year.
Earlier this month, Afghan officials confirmed that the Taliban gained control of Now Zad in the Helmand Province, a district that U.S. and British troops battled to secure between 2007 and 2010. Heavy fighting took place between Afghan security forces and Taliban insurgents in the region at the end of July.