Two British NATO Troops Killed In Afghanistan

Two British NATO troops were shot dead in southern Afghanistan by a man wearing an Afghan army uniform.

According to Afghan Police, the shooting took place outside the gates of an international military base in Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province, on Monday. The gunman opened fire reportedly after being denied entrance to the base and killed the two British soldiers before being shot and killed himself by International Security Assistance Forces at the gate.

No details have been released by the U.S.-led military.

This incident occured in the wake of mounting tensions and violent encounters between the Afghan people and international troops. Last month, the burning of Qurans by U.S. soldiers sparked widespread anger and fatal riots among Afghan army and civilians.

Just a few weeks later, a U.S. army sergeant has been charged for murdering 17 Afghan civilians - including women and children. In an attempt to reconcile with the Afghans, the U.S. has given a total of $860,000 to the families of the victims of the massacre.

However, as this most recent shooting indicates, it will take much more than financial compensation to remedy the increasingly contentious relationship between Afghanistan and foreign NATO troops. According to statistics provided by the Defense Department to Congress, Afghan security forces have killed at least 51 NATO troops since 2007. So while this issue is not new, it has certainly escalated since last month's Quran-burning incident.

Many believe the U.S. and NATO forces must shift their strategy in Afghanistan in response to these recent events as they fear this violent streak could lead to many more deaths in the near future.