KABUL (PAN): An Afghan policeman shot dead two American soldiers in the central province of Maidan Wardak while three more US service members were killed in separate incidents of violence in southern and eastern Afghanistan.

Spokesman for Maidan Wardak governor Shahidullah Shahid told Pajhwok Afghan News the US soldiers were gunned down by a policeman in Andar area of Nirkh district on Friday. Two more soldiers suffered injuries in the incident.

He added the American soldiers were conducting a joint operation with Afghan police. As the US soldiers sat to take rest, the policeman attacked them. The attacker managed to escape.

Shahid said the policeman was a resident of the Said Abad district. He revealed the cop's father had been arrested by security forces and investigations were underway.

A spokesperson for US troops in Kabul, meanwhile, confirmed the shooting. She said an Afghan policeman opened fire at the US soldiers and killed two of them. She disclosed two policemen were also injured in retaliatory fire.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, on the other hand, claimed eight US soldiers were killed in the attack. He said the policemen were inducted by Taliban in the force.

A statement from ISAF headquarters in Kabul said three American soldiers were killed in separate incidents of violence. With the fresh casualties, the number of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan during the current year has reached 388.

Separately, Shahid said, security officials arrested a Pakistani officer along with a militant in Omarkhel area of Nirkh district. He identified the Pakistani officer as Samiullah, son of Muhammad Aziz. The detainee, who can speak Urdu and Pashto languages, has admitted he is officer of the Pakistan Army.

The spokesman claimed a long list containing names of people working as army and police officials and interpreters with foreign troops had also been recovered from the detainee, who was taken away by foreign troops.

Shahid identified the arrested militant as Abdul Aziz, who was resident of the same area. He said landmines and a pistol had been seized from him.

But Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied any of their men had been captured in the area. Regarding the arrest of the Pakistani officer, he said theirs was an indigenous movement that had nothing to do with foreigners. He insisted the association of foreigners with Taliban was mere propaganda.

dk/mud