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KABUL: The US-led coalition in Afghanistan Thursday said it had launched a "precision-guided" strike on a militant compound in Pakistan, after Pakistan's army said four civilians were killed by US fire.
Pakistan, which forbids all foreign military activity on its soil, said it had lodged a "very strong protest" after two women and two children were killed by stray US shells in the North Waziristan tribal region.
A Kabul-based spokesman for the coalition, which led the toppling of the Taliban regime in late 2001, said it could not comment directly on the Pakistani account but confirmed it had launched a strike.
"We can confirm a precision-guided ammunition strike on March 12 on a compound connected with Haqqani network 1.5 kilometres (about a mile) across the border in Pakistan," coalition spokesman Major Chris Belcher said.
The Haqqani network refers to Islamist militants led by Taliban commander Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is allegedly based in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan.
"I do not have any information on any casualties that may have occurred," the spokesman said.
Chief Pakistani military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said earlier that "The coalition forces were firing at a group of militants when five shells landed in Pakistan, destroying a house and killing two women and two children."
"We have lodged a very strong protest with the coalition forces across the border," he said.
President Pervez Musharraf, a key US ally, said in a newspaper interview in January that any incursion by the US-led coalition in Afghanistan without permission would be treated as an invasion.
Belcher said that "The information I have is that the government of Pakistan was notified immediately following the strike."
"It is not the first time that they (coalition forces) have had to respond to an imminent threat across the border in Pakistan. Every time we do, we clear that with Pakistani authorities."
Several previous missile strikes in the region have been attributed to the United States, including one that killed senior Al-Qaeda commander Abu Laith al-Libi in North Waziristan in January.
Pakistan, which forbids all foreign military activity on its soil, said it had lodged a "very strong protest" after two women and two children were killed by stray US shells in the North Waziristan tribal region.
A Kabul-based spokesman for the coalition, which led the toppling of the Taliban regime in late 2001, said it could not comment directly on the Pakistani account but confirmed it had launched a strike.
"We can confirm a precision-guided ammunition strike on March 12 on a compound connected with Haqqani network 1.5 kilometres (about a mile) across the border in Pakistan," coalition spokesman Major Chris Belcher said.
The Haqqani network refers to Islamist militants led by Taliban commander Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is allegedly based in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan.
"I do not have any information on any casualties that may have occurred," the spokesman said.
Chief Pakistani military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said earlier that "The coalition forces were firing at a group of militants when five shells landed in Pakistan, destroying a house and killing two women and two children."
"We have lodged a very strong protest with the coalition forces across the border," he said.
President Pervez Musharraf, a key US ally, said in a newspaper interview in January that any incursion by the US-led coalition in Afghanistan without permission would be treated as an invasion.
Belcher said that "The information I have is that the government of Pakistan was notified immediately following the strike."
"It is not the first time that they (coalition forces) have had to respond to an imminent threat across the border in Pakistan. Every time we do, we clear that with Pakistani authorities."
Several previous missile strikes in the region have been attributed to the United States, including one that killed senior Al-Qaeda commander Abu Laith al-Libi in North Waziristan in January.
