NATO officer gunned down by man in Afghan police uniform

• Sunday's incident was third 'insider attack' in Afghanistan in a week

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 14:48 EST, 19 August 2012 | UPDATED: 02:00 EST, 20 August 2012

A man in an Afghan police uniform shot and killed an international service member in southern Afghanistan in yet another attack by apparent Afghan forces against their NATO allies.

The international military alliance said in a statement the attack happened Sunday but does not give further details.

The statement says NATO and Afghan officials are investigating.

The latest attack came on the heels of two similar attacks, as pressure mounts on the Pentagon over the number of coalition troops killed by 'Afghan insiders.'

Mourning: Lance Cpl. Greg Buckley Jr.'s father Greg, left, his mother Marina, third from left, and his two brothers watch as the Marine's casket is carried into St. Agnes Cathedral for his funeral yesterday

An emotional funeral was held on Saturday for the New York Marine killed by a member of the Afghan forces he was training.

Lance Cpl. Greg Buckley Jr. was barely 21 years old when he was killed in an attack by a policeman in Afghanistan. His mother and father sobbed as he was laid to rest following a service on Long Island.

He was killed on August 10 when a member of the Afghan Security forces fired into the gym he was using and fled.

And on Friday, the day before the funeral took place, an Afghan police officer shot to death two U.S. servicemen during a training exercise in the western province of Farah.

Lance Corporal Buckley's father told the New York Post: 'This boy will never be forgotten. I have to stand here and believe there’s a purpose for Greg. I have to, in my heart, accept the idea that the Lord took my son for a reason.'

Sacrifice: Greg Buckley Jr., was killed on August 10 when an Afghan Security forces member fired into the gym he was using

On Thursday, family members sobbed as his flag-draped coffin arrived in a heartbreaking military ritual.

His mother cried out, 'My boy!' as an honor guard carried his remains into an Oceanside funeral home.

Weeping residents held American flags. Some honored his father's request to 'salute my boy.'

The Afghan police officer shot and killed Buckley and two other U.S. Marines after sharing a meal with them.

It was one of a recent rash of attacks in which Afghan security forces or attackers wearing their uniforms turned their guns on the coalition troops

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday to discuss the rising number of 'insider' attacks.

Spokesman George Little said Panetta encouraged Karzai to work with U.S. commanders to ensure more rigorous vetting of Afghan recruits.

Little said that Panetta and Karzai agreed that American and Afghan officials need to work together to address a problem that has intensified in recent days.

As of Tuesday, August 14, at least 1,953 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.

The AP count is two less than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Monday at 10am EDT.

At least 1,627 military service members have died in Afghanistan as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

At risk: Soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan where there has been a recent rash of insider attacks

Lance Cpl. Greg Buckley Jr.'s father Greg, center follows his casket from St. Agnes Cathedral after his funeral

Outside of Afghanistan, the department reports at least 116 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, 12 were the result of hostile action.

The AP count of total OEF casualties outside of Afghanistan is one more than the department's tally.

The Defense Department also counts three military civilian deaths.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, 17,095 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department.

Lance Cpl. Greg Buckley Jr.'s father Greg, center, is escorted from St. Agnes Cathedral

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