KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Three American special forces soldiers were killed Friday by an Afghan police officer who had invited them for a meal, Afghan officials said.

The US military in Afghanistan confirmed that three US soldiers had been killed by "an individual in an Afghan uniform" in Sangin district of southern Helmand province, but gave no further details.

The attack was the third so-called green-on-blue assault, in which Afghan forces turn their weapons against their NATO allies, in just four days.

Two Afghan officials told AFP the soldiers were shot dead by an Afghan police officer who had invited them for a meal at his checkpost in the restive southern province.

"Asadullah, the police checkpost commander, invited four foreign special forces soldiers to a (Ramadan) breakfast at 2:30 am in Sangin district," a senior security officer in the province said, requesting anonymity.

"He later opened fire on the special forces soldiers, killing three and wounding another, and he managed to run away."

The Sangin district chief, Mohammad Sharif, earlier told AFP that four foreign soldiers had been killed by the checkpost commander after he invited them to a meal.

Breakfast is eaten before sunrise during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from then until the evening meal at dusk.

Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack, saying seven US special forces soldiers had been killed.

"Asadullah (the police checkpost commander) joined the mujahideen ranks after the killing," Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP by telephone.

The Taliban regularly exaggerate attacks or claim credit for killing foreign soldiers even if they are not involved.