Five British troops were killed Wednesday in Afghanistan by an individual described as a rogue Afghan police officer.
Eight people were injured, officials said, and the suspect remained at large. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, furthering fears the militant group had infiltrated Afghan security forces.
The British military said its troops had been stationed at an Afghan police compound in Helmand province for about two weeks as part of duties in training local security forces.
Col. Richard Kemp, a former commander of British troops in Afghanistan, told the BBC, the incident will "undermine" trust between U.K. troops and the Afghans.
"And it wouldn't at all surprise me now if there aren't a lot of soldiers, British soldiers in Afghanistan, with their fingers very firmly on the trigger when they're around Afghan police and military," Kemp said.
