The US coalition has announced a decision to punish a US training officer who was blamed for beating an Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier, a US task force commander said in Kabul Saturday.

"One of American trainers (who) in fact did struck an Afghan soldier received punishment," Thomas Mancino, the commander in charge of training the ANA, told reporters.

He declined to explain what kind of punishment this officer received, but added "the trainer received Article 15 punishment."

It was the first time that the US coalition in Afghanistan imposed such punishment on US military staff for their misbehavior after increasing complaints about US trainers' abuse at US detention centers were reported.

The US instructor struck with a stick on the Afghan soldier but caused no physical injuries, Mancino said.

"We consider it a very regrettable incident and I am confident that would not happen again," said the commander.