Militant guns down 10 Afghan police

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KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- A militant disguised as an Afghan police officer killed 10 officers Saturday before he was gunned down himself, officials said.

The shooting occurred in Delaram, a district in the southwestern province of Nimruz, The New York Times reported. Khaama Press reported 11 police officers were shot and the killer was a militant who had disguised himself as a police officer.

"The 10 policemen who were killed were sitting in a room which was their guard post at the edge of the district center," Nimruz Gov. Abdul Karim Barahavi said. "They died on the spot."

The shootings occurred a day after three U.S. soldiers were gunned down at an outpost in Helmand province, allegedly by a member of the Afghan military, and three NATO coalition members were killed at a base, also in Helmand. The shooter in the second case has not been identified.

So far this year, at least 34 soldiers with the NATO coalition in Afghanistan have been killed by members of the Afghan military or police, the Times said. In 2011, 35 were killed during the entire year.