¿I waited until they took their body armour off and then I shot them dead:¿ Chilling account of a ¿green on blue¿ attack by Afghan man who killed two U.S. soldiers

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Sergeant Aaron Smith and Private First Class Brandon Owens were shot dead in 2009
Afghan man confesses to the killings claiming he took issue with the way that Americans were treating his people
His confession comes after increasing number of green-on-blue attacks forced NATO to suspend Afghan Local Police training
Four American soldiers killed on Sunday and two British soldiers shot dead at checkpoint in Afghanistan on Saturday
Intelligence sources believe most attacks are being carried out by 'lone-wolf' individuals NOT the Taliban

By Mark Duell and Beth Stebner and Meghan Keneally

Published: 11:56 EST, 17 September 2012 | Updated: 04:10 EST, 18 September 2012

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An Afghan man has confessed to shooting dead two American soldiers who were training him as a police officer in an attack which took place three years ago.

In a chilling and candid account, the unidentified man said he had waited until Sergeant Aaron Smith and Private First Class Brandon Owens had taken off their body armour before calmly gunning them down in Wardak Province, central Afghanistan.

His confession comes just a day after four American soldiers were gunned down by Afghan police at a checkpoint in a similar incident. The latest in a spate of so-called green-on-blue attacks.

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Confession: This unidentified man said that while he was being trained as a member of the Afghan Local Police in October 2009, he killed two American soldiers during an insider attack

Proof: The man was wearing his blue Afghan police uniform (pictured) when he carried out the attack and he was picked up by the Taliban shortly after, who helped him hide out in Pakistan for the following three years

Insider attack: The unidentified Afghan man who spoke to CNN admitted that he killed Aaron Smith (left) and Brandon Owens (right) on October 2, 2009

Shot dead: The unidentified Afghan man who spoke to CNN admitted that he killed Aaron Smith (left) and Brandon Owens (right) on October 2, 2009

Two British troops were also killed at a checkpoint at a different base in the south of the country on Sunday.

Speaking from inside a Taliban controlled village the man said: 'The Americans went inside the nearby school for a break.

TALIBAN 'NOT RESPONSIBLE' FOR MOST GREEN-ON-BLUE ATTACKS

While the number of soldiers being killed or injured by roadside bombs is falling there have been a growing number of incidents involving Afghan police or soldiers opening fire on coalition troops.

So far this year at least 51 servicemen have been killed in so-called 'green on blue' attacks compared to a total of 35 last year.

While the Taliban are often quick to claim responsibility for the killings, intelligence sources believe most are actually carried out by 'lone-wolves' who have personal grievances against foreign troops.

U.S. Col Todd Collins said: 'The Taliban lie and we know they lie we think they overstate their influence on their tragic incidents.

'We think somewhere around 25 per cent are insurgent related to some degree.'

The attacks are referred to as green-on-blue due to the colour of the coalition uniforms used by American and British troops and the blue outfits worn by the Afghan Local Police force.

Chief spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, Brig-Gen Gunter Katz said: 'What we identified was that most of them were caused by personal grievances and stress situations.

'Those isolated incidents don't reflect the overall security situation in Afghanistan.

'As we speak 500,000 soldiers and policemen are working together to contribute to a more secure and stable Afghanistan.'

'They took off their body armour and put their weapons down. At that moment, I thought it was the right time so I took my gun and shot them.'

Admitting to the 2009 incident that left the two soldiers dead and three others injured, the man told CNN that he did so because he took issue with the way that Americans were treating his people.

He said that he decided to kill the two men on October 2 'because Americans were oppressing people in my country. They were burning copies of the holy Koran and disrespecting it'.

Shortly after the attack, the unidentified Afghan man, who is a father of two, says that he was captured by the Taliban.

After he told his captors that he had killed Americans, the Taliban took him to Pakistan where he was 'welcomed very warmly like a hero'.

The man is now back in Afghanistan after his Taliban captors decided that it was safe enough for him to return.

'They said Americans were not everywhere like they used to be. The Taliban had brought security and I should return home,' he said.

So far in 2012, NATO reported that there had already been 51 coalition deaths because of so-called green-on-blue attacks, and as a result the Afghan Local Police training scheme would be paused temporarily while the admission criteria were re-evaluated to weed out possible attackers.

The unidentified Afghan solider seems confident that the attacks will continue because the hatred is still there.

'I know they will increase, I know more people will do what I did,' he said.

Those words are even more provocative in the wake of this weekend's killings.

Four American soldiers were killed on Sunday in Kabul, and their identities have not been released.

Married father-of-two Sergeant Gareth Thursby, 29, and Private Thomas Wroe, 18, were shot dead in the south of Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, on Saturday.

Married father-of-two Sergeant Gareth Thursby, 29, was shot dead in the south of Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province

Private Thomas Wroe, 18, was shot dead in the south of Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province

Tributes: Married father-of-two Sergeant Gareth Thursby, 29, and Private Thomas Wroe, 18, were shot dead in the south of Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, yesterday

The men were killed at a checkpoint when a man dressed as a local Afghan policeman pretended to be injured so they would help him, defence sources said.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: 'I was saddened to hear of this cowardly act by a man wearing an Afghan local police uniform, which has taken the lives of two brave British soldiers.

'All of our thoughts are with the families of Sergeant Gareth Thursby and Private Thomas Wroe. They gave their lives protecting Britain's national security, helping to make sure that Afghanistan never again becomes a haven for international terrorism.'

Sgt Thursby, who had completed tours of duty in Kosovo and Iraq, was nicknamed Bull because of his strength and confidence.

His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Stenning, said: 'He was admired and deeply respected by his soldiers and peers for his soldiering skills, physical strength and forthright honesty. Utterly professional, his standards were legendary.'

Horror: Two British soldiers were gunned down by a man in an Afghan police uniform (file photo)

Guard: Earlier this week, two Marines were killed and several more wounded at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan

He added: 'I heard just a few weeks ago that he had told his platoon to call him Dad during the tour. That is how he saw himself; a father figure for 30 men and women involved in gruelling operations in Helmand.'

Other fatality: Lance Corporal Duane Groom, 32, from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, died on Friday after his vehicle hit a roadside bomb

Third fatality: Lance Corporal Duane Groom, 32, from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, died on Friday after his vehicle hit a roadside bomb

Private Wroe, who joined the Army in September 2010, was praised for his professional skills and positive attitude.

His company commander, Major Finlay Bibby, said: 'His confidence, sense of humour and ever present smile made him hugely popular and fun to be with.'

The MoD said the deaths were unrelated to the attack at Camp Bastion which killed two US Marines.

Those attackers had automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and suicide vests. Besides destroying six Harrier jets, they demolished three refuelling stations and damaged six aircraft hangars.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack, saying it wanted to avenge Muslims insulted by an amateurish film that mocked the Prophet Muhammad - and because Prince Harry is on the base.

The Prince, who turned 28 on Saturday, is set to start flying Apache missions this week, and his deployment is not planned to be shortened after the attack. This is his second tour in Afghanistan.

The latest deaths bring the number of members of UK forces to have died since operations began in Afghanistan in October 2001 to 430.

They came during a bloody few days in the war-torn country.

At least one Afghan police officer turned his gun on Nato troops at a remote checkpoint in the south today, killing four US service members before escaping, Afghan and international officials said.

VIDEO: International Security Assistance Force confirms insider attacks

ISAF Confirms insider attacks in Afghanistan