Afghanistan Militants Behead 6 Police Officers

(CBS/AP)  Updated at 3:15 a.m. Eastern.

Six Afghan national police officers were beheaded Tuesday by militants who stormed their checkpoint in the country's north, according to NATO, which earlier reported the deaths of two American civilians and two Afghan troops at another installation in the north.

The military coalition said in a statement issued Wednesday the militants attacked a number of government buildings, including a police checkpoint, in Baghlan province's Dahanah-ye Ghori district. The insurgents overran the checkpoint and killed the officers inside by cutting off their heads.

Local officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Violence and casualties have surged in recent months in Afghanistan. June was the deadliest month for U.S. and international forces with the deaths of 103 service members, including 60 Americans.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Afghanistan
The Afghanistan Reckoning

Earlier Wednesday, NATO said two American civilians and two Afghan soldiers were killed in a shooting on a base outside Mazar-e-Sharif.

An Afghan soldier who trained others at the base started shooting during a weapons exercise Tuesday, the international military coalition said in a statement.

The shooter was one of those killed, and it was not immediately clear if he targeted someone or if bullets had gone astray. It also was not clear how many people fired weapons.

NATO and Afghan forces are jointly investigating, Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said. There were no immediate details on the U.S. civilians, but contractors commonly work as trainers at such bases.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that CIA director Leon Panetta and Defense chief Robert Gates were concerned over the extent to which America's war efforts relied on private contractors.

Intentional shootings by Afghans against coalition partners have occurred previously but still are rare.

Earlier this month, an Afghan soldier killed three British service members with gunfire and a rocket-propelled grenade in the dead of night.

The soldier fled after that attack, leaving his motive unclear. But the Taliban claimed he was a militant sympathizer taken in by insurgents after the assault.

In November, an Afghan policeman killed five British soldiers at a checkpoint in Helmand.

The attacks come as the international coalition is ramping up training of Afghan soldiers and policemen so they can ultimately take responsibility for securing and defending the nation.

The speed with which Afghan security forces are growing - the allies set an interim goal of expanding the Afghan army from 85,000 in 2009 to 134,000 troops by October 2011 - has raised concerns about infiltration by the Taliban and the professionalism of the forces.

President Hamid Karzai reiterated on Tuesday his government's commitment to assume total responsibility for security in Afghanistan by 2014 - three years after President Obama intends to begin withdrawing U.S. troops.

[Simifanene]

These men should be arrested and tried by the world court for war crimes, but so should George Bush, Dick Cheney and their henchmen for their war crimes. When George Bush and Dick Cheney ordered torture they became international criminals. The henchmen that carried out the torcher also subject to laws of the world court. Any other head of state that ordered torture would be arrested and tried by the world court. Bush and Cheney are so powerful that they can go on international tv braging of how torture protects America. I say torture, has made our country less safe and served Alkaida. Alkaida has grown from a few hundred dogs that bit us on 911 to an army that has outfought our marines, army, air force, cia, special forces and drones. The shoe less people are fighting side by side with the terrorist but not as terrorist but as patriots defending their homeland and way of life. I despise all they believe, their faith makes no sense, but they have the right to practice their religion any way they want, even though it's disgusting to us. That's the American way. If they commit crimes then they should be arrested the same way George Bush, Dick Cheney and their henchmen should be arrested. No man is above the law. If one man is above the law then all other's are below the law. Justice for all even our enemy. That's the American way. Obama said, "there will be no more torture by American's." What a great leader, a real American who stands for world justice, and the hunt down of the 911 dogs that bit us. He hasn't characterized the Muslums as terrorist, but to the contrary has spoke up for the Muslum world, at the same time asking them for their help in hunting down Alkaida. It's hard though for the middle eastern countries to follow America after Bush and Chency and the Republican Majority schock and awed, torched and burnt down Iraq'i and Afghan'i churches. Bush & Cheney have only served Alkaida with their ruthless tactics. The ones who beheaded also have hurt the Alkaida cause by their cruelty. Crimes are crimes.

[bankersvox]

we need to monitor what $$ is going that way - If it is from Saudia Arabia or Iran, they are our enemies. These people are BARBARIANS. HOw can the ACLU be so concerned about reading them their rights ? I think the ACLU is equally responsible.

[dmwj2]

Until the citizens of Afghanistan stand up to these barbarians nothing will change.

[USMC-Mom]

I agree. If they are not our boys and girls need to come home.
To be fair to those people they can't do much with out weapons.

[generey]

Wow. How can one "keep their head straight" when they do this?

[askagain]

These savages are like the drug cartels, ruthless and barbaric. What gives these people the right to take the lives of other people so cruelly? They obviously feel that they are better than their victims. The world needs to cleanse itself of these savages.

[krj9]

I don't think these right wing (IQ of 30) raciest pigs remember who got us into this war. Reminding them would only be a waste of time due to their inability to remember anything longer than 2 weeks.
You idiots should realize if we pack up our bags at this point the Taliban will rebuild ant the world will suffer. Obama has killed more top Taliban leaders in the 18 months he's been if office that that loser bush did in 8 years

[wdh3007]

Radical Islam is a cancer that needs to be cured and should be once our muslim president is out of office.

[displeased]

Which country are you from? I agree, though we shouldn't stop with removing only muslim presidents, but ALL religious presidents.

[imthaid]

@ displeased.
Our presidents are not religious. They just use the religion card to make you feel closer to them so they can get votes. Any time a politician uses the words "god" or "religion" he is yanking your chain. They know that simple minded people are easily moved by those 2 words. And there are ALOT of simple minded americans.