Gunman Kills American at Kabul CIA Station

An Afghan employee who “had the trust” of American CIA agents in Kabul shot and killed one US citizen and injured another last night at a compound believed to hold a CIA station. No motive is yet known, and it’s not clear whether the attacker—who was shot dead—was a Taliban recruit or if the shooting was personal. Typically, an Afghan CIA employee would undergo thorough security screening, the BBC notes. A security official tells the Wall Street Journal the attacker may have been an informant, and thus had access to the area.

One source says the gunman started shooting in all directions, and other official sources note that personnel heard an explosion and almost 10 minutes of gunfire. Another official reported hearing gunfire from an M4-carbine, a weapon typically used by American forces, indicating the shooter might have gotten his hands on US weapons. In the confusion following the explosion, a passing Afghan National Army vehicle was fired upon by CIA-employed guards who believed it had attacked them, another official source says. Two ANA soldiers, a CIA guard, and a presidential guard were injured. (More Kabul stories.)