Two United States officers killed in Afghan ministry

Two senior United States military officers were shot and killed inside the Afghan Interior Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan yesterday. The Taliban has claimed responsibility. The attacks appear to be motivated by US troops burning copies of the Quran in a rubbish disposal pit early in the week.

In response, NATO removed all members of the International Security Assistance Force from Kabul-area Afghan ministries. The decision to remove the personnel from Afghan ministries came from General John R. Allen who is the commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan.

The US military has yet to release the identities of the troops killed, although their ranks are said to be lieutenant colonel and major.

US Defense department press secretary George Little said Afghan minister of Defense General Abdul Rahim Wardak had apologized to US Defense secretary Leon Panetta for the attack and offered his condolences.

Protests throughout Afghanistan sparked by the Quran burning resulted in the deaths of at least 25 Afghans over the past few days. Two US troops were also killed in the protests.