Two NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Gunmen wearing Afghan military uniforms have shot dead two NATO soldiers on a base in the country's south in the latest insider attack on foreign troops.

So-called "green-on-blue" attacks - when Afghan soldiers or police turn their guns on international troops - have been a major problem during NATO's long years fighting alongside Afghan forces.

Wednesday's attack in the volatile province of Helmand is the first such incident since April, highlighting long-simmering tensions between Afghan and foreign forces.

"Two Resolute Support (NATO) service members died early this morning when two individuals wearing Afghan (military) uniforms opened fire on their vehicle at an (Afghan security forces) compound in Helmand province," a NATO statement said on Wednesday.

"Resolute Support service members returned fire and killed the shooters," it added, without revealing the nationalities of the soldiers.

The Taliban did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack, and Western officials say that most such attacks stem from personal grudges and cultural misunderstandings rather than insurgent plots.

Most NATO combat troops pulled out of Afghanistan last year but a small contingent remains, including roughly 10,000 American soldiers.