Two coalition troops die in attack

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KABUL, Afghanistan, March 1 (UPI) -- Two coalition service members were killed Thursday when two Afghans fired on the service members, the International Security Assistance Force said.

"Two individuals, one believed to be an Afghan National Army service member and the other in civilian clothing, turned their weapons indiscriminately against International Security Assistance Force and Afghan National Security Force service members in southern Afghanistan today [Thursday], killing two ISAF service members," the ISAF said in a statement.

The ISAF did not identify the nationality of the military personnel. However, the Los Angeles Times said it was told the victims were American.

Niaz Mohammad Sarhadi, chief of Kandahar's Zhari district, told the Los Angeles Times the attack occurred at a coalition-Afghan outpost in Sangisar. He said the assailant was a civilian working for the Afghan military who took a weapon from an Afghan soldier.

Sarhadi said a third U.S. fighter was wounded. He told the Los Angeles Times the assailant and an Afghan soldier were killed and a second Afghan soldier was injured.

The killings come after the shooting deaths of four U.S. soldiers last week following protests across Afghanistan in reaction to the accidental burning of Korans at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul.

Two deaths occurred in the Afghan Interior Ministry Saturday, prompting NATO to withdraw military advisers and trainers from government ministries in Kabul. NATO spokesman Brig. Gen. Lewis Boone said Thursday some advisers returned to the ministries without specifying where, The New York Times reported.

Three investigations are under way in the Koran burning, one by the United States, a second by Afghanistan, and the third jointly by U.S. and Afghan officials.