An Afghan soldier has shot dead a US marine and wounded another before being killed by return fire. It is the latest in a series of attacks against foreigners by government forces working with coalition troops. The soldier started shooting at international troops in Tarekh Naver in the Marjah district, a former Taliban stronghold that was the site of a major offensive by coalition forces in 2010, said a spokesman for the governor of Helmand province. A senior US defence official in Washington said the victim was a US marine in Helmand province and one other marine was wounded in the attack on Sunday. So far this year there have been 19 attacks, killing 12 coalition soldiers, compared with 21 last year that killed 35, according to Nato figures. Nato is gearing up to hand over security to local forces ahead of a 2014 deadline for the withdrawal of combat troops.