Afghan soldier kills two US troops

WASHINGTON, July 30 (AP): An Afghan soldier shot and killed two American service members in Afghanistan, US officials said on Monday.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about details that have not yet been made public.

US Central Command confirmed that two US troops were killed, but provided no details. It said additional information is being withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin is complete.

According to officials, the Afghan soldier was wounded and is in custody. The shooting took place in Kandahar in the country's south.

The US formally ended its Afghan combat mission in 2014 but still provides extensive air and other support to local forces battling both the Taliban and an affiliate of the Islamic State group.

US and allied forces have faced increasing insider attacks in recent years. In November, Brent Taylor, the mayor of North Ogden, Utah, and a major in the Utah National Guard, was killed by an Afghan soldier in Kabul.

The last six months have seen the Taliban carry out near-daily attacks, mainly targeting Afghan security forces.