All Afghan soldiers working in a patrol base in southern Afghanistan have been disarmed and confined to barracks after one of them turned his weapons on Australian troops, seriously injuring three of them.
The incident, in Uruzgan province, is the latest attack on western troops by members of Afghanistan's fledgling security forces, who are being recruited and trained at breakneck speed to take over from western combat troops by the end of 2014.
Officials say the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) soldier was standing on a raised watchtower in a patrol base when he opened fire with an automatic weapon and grenade launcher, shooting down into the interior of the compound. As in other such incidents, his victims would have been unprepared to defend themselves, and probably not wearing body armour.
In addition to seriously wounding three members of an Australian team responsible for training and mentoring Afghans soldiers, two ANA servicemen were also hurt, although their injuries were minor, the Australian defence ministry said.
The attacker, named by the Afghan government as Mohammad Rozi from the northern province of Takhar, then fled the scene in an army vehicle. Although pursued by Afghan troops, he managed to escape after abandoning and setting fire to the vehicle.
The five injured men were transferred by helicopter air ambulance to military hospitals in the region, with the Australians moved to the Nato trauma facility in Kandahar.
David Hurley, chief of the Australian Defence Force, said Rozi's motive was unknown. But he acknowledged the acute unease the incident is likely to create in Australia, a Nato ally still reeling from the death of three of its soldiers in a similar incident less than two weeks ago.
"I understand the reaction many Australians will have to news of this latest incident so soon after the deaths of three soldiers in similar circumstances. However, it is too early to speculate whether these two incidents are linked," Hurley said.
The infiltration of the security forces by insurgent sympathisers is a major concern for western officials, although they maintain the number of such incidents involving genuine Taliban infiltrators remains low.
Last month Julia Gillard, the Australian prime minister, said such attacks were intended to erode trust between Afghan and foreign forces.
Australia has 1,550 soldiers in Afghanistan, and has suffered 32 deaths and 212 injuries during operations in the country.
The incident, in Uruzgan province, is the latest attack on western troops by members of Afghanistan's fledgling security forces, who are being recruited and trained at breakneck speed to take over from western combat troops by the end of 2014.
Officials say the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) soldier was standing on a raised watchtower in a patrol base when he opened fire with an automatic weapon and grenade launcher, shooting down into the interior of the compound. As in other such incidents, his victims would have been unprepared to defend themselves, and probably not wearing body armour.
In addition to seriously wounding three members of an Australian team responsible for training and mentoring Afghans soldiers, two ANA servicemen were also hurt, although their injuries were minor, the Australian defence ministry said.
The attacker, named by the Afghan government as Mohammad Rozi from the northern province of Takhar, then fled the scene in an army vehicle. Although pursued by Afghan troops, he managed to escape after abandoning and setting fire to the vehicle.
The five injured men were transferred by helicopter air ambulance to military hospitals in the region, with the Australians moved to the Nato trauma facility in Kandahar.
David Hurley, chief of the Australian Defence Force, said Rozi's motive was unknown. But he acknowledged the acute unease the incident is likely to create in Australia, a Nato ally still reeling from the death of three of its soldiers in a similar incident less than two weeks ago.
"I understand the reaction many Australians will have to news of this latest incident so soon after the deaths of three soldiers in similar circumstances. However, it is too early to speculate whether these two incidents are linked," Hurley said.
The infiltration of the security forces by insurgent sympathisers is a major concern for western officials, although they maintain the number of such incidents involving genuine Taliban infiltrators remains low.
Last month Julia Gillard, the Australian prime minister, said such attacks were intended to erode trust between Afghan and foreign forces.
Australia has 1,550 soldiers in Afghanistan, and has suffered 32 deaths and 212 injuries during operations in the country.
