In one recent debacle in Laghman, a province east of Kabul, 300 Afghan soldiers, acting independently of NATO, were ambushed by the Taliban and many were killed or captured.

ECONOMIST: Afghanistan's troubled national army

In a separate attack on Monday, seven people were killed by a roadside bomb in the eastern province of Laghman, officials said.

BBC: Afghan children die as suicide bomber targets soldiers

Afghan defence officials told the BBC that initial assessment suggested the gunman was a soldier from the eastern province of Laghman.

BBC: British soldier killed by Afghan army gunman in Helmand