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NATO air strikes in Pakistan violate UN mandate: official
Monday, 27 Sep, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday lodged a strong protest with NATO over air strikes by the alliance's helicopters on its territory near the Afghan border saying they violated a UN mandate, the foreign office said.
The attack by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) helicopters on Friday left more than 30 insurgents dead, an ISAF statement issued in Kabul on Sunday said.
Pakistan said the helicopters intruded into its territory twice from the eastern Afghan province of Khost as they chased the militants.
These incidents are a clear violation and breach of the UN mandate under which ISAF operates, foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said in a statement.
The ISAF statement admitted that an air weapons team engaged a significant number of insurgents following an attack on a remote Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) outpost in Khost province Friday.
ANSF received direct and indirect fire at Combat Outpost Narizah near the Pakistan border. An air weapons team in the area observed the enemy fire, and following International Security Assistance Force rules of engagement, crossed into the area of enemy fire.ISAF aircraft then fired on the militants killing more than 30, the statement said, adding that two helicopters returned to the border area on Saturday and killed several more insurgents.
Initial reports indicate no civilian were injured or killed during either operation, the ISAF statement said.
Pakistan said ISAF's saying mandate terminates/finishes at the Afghanistan border.
There are no agreed 'hot pursuit' rules. Any impression to the contrary is not factually correct. Such violations are unacceptable, the foreign office statement added.
It said ISAF had been asked not to participate in any military action that violates the UN mandate and infringes upon Pakistan's sovereignty.
In the absence of immediate corrective measures, Pakistan will be constrained to consider response options, it warned.
The statement said Pakistan had always emphasised the need for coordinated and joint action against insurgents.
Under US pressure to crack down on Islamist havens along the Afghan border, Pakistan has in the past year stepped up military operations against largely homegrown militants.
The rare helicopter attacks came amid a surge in US drone strikes in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt, which is considered a safe haven for Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked operatives and is branded the most dangerous place on earth by Washington.
Four militants were killed in the missile strike on Monday which was 19th attack in 24 days.
Militants fighting against 150,000 US and NATO troops in Afghanistan are believed to be holed up in Pakistan's tribal areas, as are operatives at war with Pakistani security forces.
Last year Pakistan launched its most ambitious military offensive yet against Taliban militants in South Waziristan, expanding the campaign to many of the other seven semi-autonomous tribal districts along the border.
Monday, 27 Sep, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday lodged a strong protest with NATO over air strikes by the alliance's helicopters on its territory near the Afghan border saying they violated a UN mandate, the foreign office said.
The attack by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) helicopters on Friday left more than 30 insurgents dead, an ISAF statement issued in Kabul on Sunday said.
Pakistan said the helicopters intruded into its territory twice from the eastern Afghan province of Khost as they chased the militants.
These incidents are a clear violation and breach of the UN mandate under which ISAF operates, foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said in a statement.
The ISAF statement admitted that an air weapons team engaged a significant number of insurgents following an attack on a remote Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) outpost in Khost province Friday.
ANSF received direct and indirect fire at Combat Outpost Narizah near the Pakistan border. An air weapons team in the area observed the enemy fire, and following International Security Assistance Force rules of engagement, crossed into the area of enemy fire.ISAF aircraft then fired on the militants killing more than 30, the statement said, adding that two helicopters returned to the border area on Saturday and killed several more insurgents.
Initial reports indicate no civilian were injured or killed during either operation, the ISAF statement said.
Pakistan said ISAF's saying mandate terminates/finishes at the Afghanistan border.
There are no agreed 'hot pursuit' rules. Any impression to the contrary is not factually correct. Such violations are unacceptable, the foreign office statement added.
It said ISAF had been asked not to participate in any military action that violates the UN mandate and infringes upon Pakistan's sovereignty.
In the absence of immediate corrective measures, Pakistan will be constrained to consider response options, it warned.
The statement said Pakistan had always emphasised the need for coordinated and joint action against insurgents.
Under US pressure to crack down on Islamist havens along the Afghan border, Pakistan has in the past year stepped up military operations against largely homegrown militants.
The rare helicopter attacks came amid a surge in US drone strikes in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt, which is considered a safe haven for Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked operatives and is branded the most dangerous place on earth by Washington.
Four militants were killed in the missile strike on Monday which was 19th attack in 24 days.
Militants fighting against 150,000 US and NATO troops in Afghanistan are believed to be holed up in Pakistan's tribal areas, as are operatives at war with Pakistani security forces.
Last year Pakistan launched its most ambitious military offensive yet against Taliban militants in South Waziristan, expanding the campaign to many of the other seven semi-autonomous tribal districts along the border.
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