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| India-Pakistan |
| NATO chopper kills 3 Pakistani troops |
| 2010-09-30 |
| A NATO helicopter attacked a Pakistani border post near Afghanistan on Thursday, killing three troops, security officials in Pakistan said. Later, government officials said they were ordered to stop trucks carrying supplies for international forces from entering Afghanistan at a major border crossing. NATO said it was investigating the allegations and whether they were linked to an operation against insurgents in a nearby Afghan province. The accusations and the fallout were likely to exacerbate tensions between Islamabad and Washington, which is struggling to beat back a resurgent Taliban movement in the nine-year-old Afghan war. Over the weekend, NATO choppers fired on targets in Pakistan, killing several alleged insurgents they had pursued over the border from Afghanistan. Islamabad protested the intrusion into its territory that has inflamed already pervasive anti-American sentiments among Pakistanis. On Thursday, two government officials told The Associated Press they were ordered to stop NATO supply trucks from crossing into Afghanistan at the Torkham border post, a major entryway for NATO materials at the edge of the Khyber tribal region. No reason was given for the blockage, but earlier this week Pakistan threatened to stop providing protection to NATO convoys if the military alliance's choppers attacked targets inside Pakistan again. Pakistani security officials differed on the exact location of the deadly airstrike, saying it took place either in Upper Kurram or Upper Orakzai. The remote, mountainous tribal regions neighbour each other. The border between them, as well as the one with Afghanistan, is poorly marked. Many of the border troops wear uniforms that resemble the traditional Pakistani dress of a long shirt and baggy trousers - which could make it hard to distinguish them from ordinary citizens or insurgents. The dead men were from a paramilitary force tasked with safeguarding the border, the Pakistani security officials said. Their bodies were taken to the region's largest town of Parachinar, one official said. Three troops also were wounded. The Pakistani officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation and because in some cases they were not authorised to release the information to the media. Lieutenant Colonel John Dorrian, a spokesman for intelligence and special operations at NATO headquarters in Kabul, said coalition forces observed early on Thursday what they believed were insurgents firing mortars at a coalition base in Dand Wa Patan district of Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan. "A coalition air weapons team called for fire support and engaged the insurgents," he said. "The air weapons team reported that it did not cross into Pakistani air space and believed the insurgents were located on the Afghan side of the border." Dorrian said NATO was reviewing the reports to see if the operation in Paktia was related to Pakistan's reports its forces were hit by NATO aircraft. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #8 Incoming mortar rounds coming from a Point of Origin (POO) co-located with a border checkpoint? The perfect example of both lazy and stupid. S.O.P. in Lebanon, except they used Useless Nannies' posts. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2010-09-30 22:15 |
| #7 The problem with Aghanistan is Pakistan is the mantra Nato must take on from now on! |
| Posted by: Paul D 2010-09-30 17:40 |
#6 Imam Obama said:"When I am president, we will wage the war that has to be won. The first step must be to get off the wrong battlefield in Iraq and take the fight to the terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan." |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-09-30 11:08 |
| #5 Their bodies were taken to the region's largest town of Parachinar, one official said. Three troops also were wounded. “Hold on…looks like the Paki’s are done talking and are starting to walk away…wait…wait…FIRE. Good shootin boys.” |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2010-09-30 10:23 |
| #4 Incoming mortar rounds coming from a Point of Origin (POO) co-located with a border checkpoint? The perfect example of both lazy and stupid. Nice shooting NATO. Make sure this new TTP is widely disseminated to all the crews. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-09-30 09:28 |
| #3 The dead men were from a paramilitary force tasked with safeguarding the border ISI MTT ? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-09-30 09:03 |
| #2 They shouldnt be turning a blind eye in allowing/supporting Talibs crossing the border then should they! |
| Posted by: Paul2 2010-09-30 08:22 |
| #1 Those troops ('troops'?) would probably be fine if they were not shooting at us, and really were on the Pakistan side of the border. Timing is too convenient - Talibunnies have been getting whacked hard & needed a break like this will give them - I smell a rat. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-09-30 07:54 |