Washington, Mar.29 (ANI): U.S. and NATO soldiers have been ordered to take extraordinary precautions against being shot by Afghan troops, including designating "guardian angels" to keep watch at joint bases around the clock, according to a senior military official.
According to the Los Angeles Times, any time a group of Western soldiers is gathered on a joint base to exercise, train or even sleep, one member of the unit is required to be armed and on alert for possible fratricide attacks.
In addition, soldiers working in headquarters buildings or as advisors in Afghan ministries have been told to move their desks so that their backs are no longer facing the door, said the official, who spoke anonymously because he was discussing sensitive security measures.
Some soldiers have been given permission to carry weapons into certain Afghan government buildings where they were not allowed to be armed in the past.
Gen. John Allen, the top commander in Afghanistan, passed orders for these steps several weeks ago following an incident in which two American officers were gunned down at the Ministry of the Interior in Kabul. (ANI)
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