Afghan soldier gets death for murder of French troops
French President Francois Hollande reviews troops, on May 25, 2012 during a visit to a military base in Kapisa, in Afghanistan.
An Afghan soldier who killed five unarmed French troops in an attack in the eastern Kapisa province has been sentenced to death by hanging, Agence France Presse reported.
The decision against Abdul Sabor was handed down Monday in a military court in Pul-i-Charkhi prison on Monday, a defense ministry source said.
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Four French soldiers were killed instantly and 15 others wounded when Sabor fired on them as they jogged on their military base in January. A fifth soldier later died of his wounds.
The Associated Press reported that Sabor’s death sentence can be appealed, adding that it was not certain when he was actually convicted of the murders.
The high French casualty rate in Kapisa, which has been largely controlled by French NATO troops, prompted President Francois Hollande to accelerate the withdrawal of combat forces from Afghanistan, AFP reported.
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The instances of Afghan soldiers killing their Nato colleagues in so-called "green-on-blue" attacks is on the rise, the BBC reported, with more than 20 deaths this year.