KABUL: An Afghan soldier has been sentenced to death for killing four French soldiers in a “green-on-blue” attack in Kapisa province in January, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.

The incident, in which the soldier turned his gun on his French colleagues, prompted France to speed up its planned withdrawal of troops from Nato operations in Afghanistan.

The man, Abdul Sabor, was sentenced to death by hanging in a military court in Pul-i-Chakri prison on Monday, a defence ministry source said.

“Yes, I can confirm it. His name is Sabor,” said Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a ministry spokesman.

The killing of the four unarmed French soldiers and the wounding of 15 others as they jogged on their military base underscored the difficulties facing Nato troops as they prepare to pull out of the war-torn country.

The number of so-called green-on-blue attacks - in which Afghan forces turn their weapons against their Western allies - has escalated this year.

In the latest incident, three British soldiers were shot dead by a man in an Afghan police uniform in the southern province of Helmand earlier this month.

Their deaths took the green-on-blue toll this year to at least 26, in 18 such incidents.