lennart
12-08-03, 10:36
Two Pakistani soldiers killed as US troops fire on border patrol
ISLAMABAD, (AFP) - Two Pakistan army soldiers were killed and one injured Monday when US troops mistakenly fired on a Pakistani patrol near the Afghan border, the Pakistan military said. Pakistan said it would lodge a "strong protest" with the US, in the incident in the northwestern tribal area of North Waziristan. "Today at 10:00 am (0500 GMT) in an unfortunate incident close to the Pak-Afghan border, US forces mistakenly fired on one of our patrols near Imal Khel post, North Waziristan Agency," the statement said.
"A strong protest has been lodged with the US authorities about the incident," it said. This is the first time that Pakistani soldiers have been killed by US fire since Pakistan became a key ally in the 20-month old US-led war against terrorism. A US-led coalition force is hunting down Taliban and al-Qaeda remnants, mainly along the 2,400-kilometre (1,500-mile) Afghan-Pakistan border. North Waziristan borders the troubled eastern Afghan provinces of Paktia and Khost where former Taliban fighters and guerrillas loyal to renegade warlords are engaged in a guerrilla campaign against US and Afghan troops.
Afghan and US officials believe the rebel fighters are operating out of remote mountains along Pakistan's tribal borderlands, where sympathies run high for the ousted Taliban regime. Pakistan recently stepped up security along the porous border with Afghanistan to stem possible infiltration of Taliban and al-Qaeda fugitives into its tribal belt. It deployed regular army troops to the northwestern tribal region of Mohmand in June for the first time to block cross-border infiltration.
Pakistan has provided at least three bases for the US-led coalition campaign in Afghanistan. It says it has captured around 500 suspects of Osama bin Laden's terrorist group al-Qaeda since US-led forces ousted the Taliban regime in late 2001.
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/breakingnews/view.asp?msgID=2367
Reactie van CentCom:
STATEMENT FROM CENTRAL COMMAND
MACDILL AFB, Tampa - Today at approximately 10:00am local, coalition forces on patrol in the vicinity of Orgun, in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan, were fired upon by several individuals. Coalition close air support was called in and responded to the enemy forces that were identified and fleeing towards the Pakistani border. The incident resulted in the unfortunate and unintended engagement of Pakistani security forces in the area. Initial reports indicate that two persons died and one was wounded as a result of the incident
ISLAMABAD, (AFP) - Two Pakistan army soldiers were killed and one injured Monday when US troops mistakenly fired on a Pakistani patrol near the Afghan border, the Pakistan military said. Pakistan said it would lodge a "strong protest" with the US, in the incident in the northwestern tribal area of North Waziristan. "Today at 10:00 am (0500 GMT) in an unfortunate incident close to the Pak-Afghan border, US forces mistakenly fired on one of our patrols near Imal Khel post, North Waziristan Agency," the statement said.
"A strong protest has been lodged with the US authorities about the incident," it said. This is the first time that Pakistani soldiers have been killed by US fire since Pakistan became a key ally in the 20-month old US-led war against terrorism. A US-led coalition force is hunting down Taliban and al-Qaeda remnants, mainly along the 2,400-kilometre (1,500-mile) Afghan-Pakistan border. North Waziristan borders the troubled eastern Afghan provinces of Paktia and Khost where former Taliban fighters and guerrillas loyal to renegade warlords are engaged in a guerrilla campaign against US and Afghan troops.
Afghan and US officials believe the rebel fighters are operating out of remote mountains along Pakistan's tribal borderlands, where sympathies run high for the ousted Taliban regime. Pakistan recently stepped up security along the porous border with Afghanistan to stem possible infiltration of Taliban and al-Qaeda fugitives into its tribal belt. It deployed regular army troops to the northwestern tribal region of Mohmand in June for the first time to block cross-border infiltration.
Pakistan has provided at least three bases for the US-led coalition campaign in Afghanistan. It says it has captured around 500 suspects of Osama bin Laden's terrorist group al-Qaeda since US-led forces ousted the Taliban regime in late 2001.
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/breakingnews/view.asp?msgID=2367
Reactie van CentCom:
STATEMENT FROM CENTRAL COMMAND
MACDILL AFB, Tampa - Today at approximately 10:00am local, coalition forces on patrol in the vicinity of Orgun, in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan, were fired upon by several individuals. Coalition close air support was called in and responded to the enemy forces that were identified and fleeing towards the Pakistani border. The incident resulted in the unfortunate and unintended engagement of Pakistani security forces in the area. Initial reports indicate that two persons died and one was wounded as a result of the incident