Nato says it is to restrict operations with Afghan troops following a string of deadly attacks on its personnel by rogue Afghan security forces.
Only large operations will now be conducted jointly, with joint patrols evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
This is a major step back for Nato's strategy, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul.
It comes as a suicide bomber targeted a bus carrying foreigners in the capital, killing 12 people on Tuesday morning.
The attack happened on a major road leading to the international airport and reports suggest those on board worked at the airport.
Afghan insurgent group Hezb-e-Islami has claimed responsibility for the blast, which it says was in response to a recent anti-Islam video.
Rogue 'surge'Afghanistan has seen days of protests over the video, some violent. The joint command of Isaf international forces also cited "events outside of and inside Afghanistan" related to the film as part of the reason for its restrictions on joint operations.
Those, along with the surge in so-called "green-on-blue" attacks, had prompted the new restrictions, Isaf said.
Fifty-one Nato troops have been killed by Afghan soldiers so far this year - 15 in August alone.
Four US soldiers and two UK soldiers died in rogue attacks at the weekend. A fifth of UK soldiers killed this year in Afghanistan were killed not by insurgents, but by Afghan soldiers or police.
Joint operations will now only be conducted routinely at battalion level - large operations involving several hundred troops.
"This does not mean there will be no partnering below that level; the need for that will be evaluated on a case by case basis," and approved by senior commanders, Isaf said in a statement.
However, the Afghan ministry of defence said it had not been formally notified of the changes, adding that senior officials from both sides were currently meeting.
The decision comes after a week of protests triggered by the anti-Islam film, produced in the US, which has caused a storm of anger around the Muslim world.
Strategic setbackOn Monday, hundreds of protesters threw rocks and torched police vehicles in an angry protest against the anti-Islam film in Kabul.
The AFP news agency said hundreds more were staging a new protest in the northern city of Kunduz on Tuesday.
International and Afghan forces are meant to fight shoulder to shoulder against the Taliban, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul.
The new restrictions strike at the heart of Nato's strategy in Afghanistan. Training Afghan police and soldiers to take responsibility for security was at the heart of that plan.
Until now, only joint patrols were taking place.
In practical terms, US soldiers are already staying on their bases, while Afghans carry out patrols alone.
There has been enormous frustration among Nato commanders that Afghan officials have not been doing enough to prevent the rise in attacks, our correspondent says.
18 Sep, 2012
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Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19632779#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
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