Kabul, August 20 (RHC)-- Two men in Afghan police uniforms shot at U.S. troops in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing one and wounding another, according to Afghan security officials.

NATO forces in Afghanistan confirmed the latest "insider attack" took place in Spin Boldak, in Kandahar province, on Sunday evening, but would not confirm the nationalities of U.S.-led forces that came under attack.  One of the attackers was reportedly killed when occupation troops returned fire, but the other escaped, according to NATO officials.

The shooting comes just days after a statement released by the head of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Omar, claiming that militants had successfully infiltrated Afghan security forces to carry out such attacks.

On Saturday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called Afghan President Hamid Karzai to encourage him to work with U.S. commanders to ensure more rigorous vetting of Afghan recruits.  It was was disclosed that U.S. troops have been ordered to carry loaded weapons at all times in Afghanistan, even when they are on their bases, as a precaution against such attacks.

The Pentagon chief announced last week that new counter-intelligence measures had been adopted during the past year to try and prevent the green-on-blue attacks.  While Panetta acknowledged that some of the incidents have been connected to insurgent groups, he maintained that the vast majority appear to be carried out by individuals with no known links to, or coordination with, the Taliban or other militant organizations.

Sunday's shooting brings to 32 the number of reported green-on-blue, or insider attacks in 2012.  At least 40 occupation forces have been killed in such incidents this year, including 26 U.S. troops.  At least ten NATO forces have been killed in insider attacks in just two weeks. 

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