KABUL: A local official says an Afghan policeman has turned his gun on his colleagues at a checkpoint in the south, killing seven policemen. The shooting was the latest among socalled insider attacks in which Afghan forces or gunmen in Afghan police or army uniforms turn their weapon on Afghan colleagues or NATO allies.

Doost Mohammad Nayab, a spokesman in southern Uruzgan province, says the attack happened Tuesday night in the provincial capital of Tirin Kot. After killing seven policemen, the attacker stole their weapons and fled in a police car. Nayab says the shooter had Taliban connections and blamed the insurgents for the attack.

Earlier Tuesday, a gunman dressed as an Afghan soldier turned on allied troops, killing an American major general and wounding about 15 US and coalition forces.