Pakistan official denies OK given for NATO air strike

Military official says US aircraft had already engaged when Pakistan was contacted.


Reuters December 02, 2011

A Pakistani official on Friday denied a Wall Street Journal report that Pakistani officials gave the go-ahead to a NATO air strike that killed 24 troops, unaware that their own forces were in the area.

Last weekend's cross-border attack has caused public outrage in Pakistan, the government has pulled out of next week's international conference on Afghanistan and threatened to end  support for the US-led war there if its sovereignty is violated again.

A Pakistani military official categorically denied the Journal's account, saying the aircraft had already engaged when Pakistan was contacted.

"Wrong information about the area of operation was provided to Pakistani officials a few minutes before the strike," said the official, who was not authorized to speak to the media.

"Without getting clearance from the Pakistan side, the post had already been engaged by US helicopters and fighter jets. Pakistan did not have any prior information about any operation in the area."

The US officials, giving their first detailed explanation of the worst friendly-fire incident of the 10-year-old war, told the Wall Street Journal an Afghan-led assault force that included US commandos was hunting Taliban militants when it came under fire from an encampment along the border with Pakistan.

The commandos thought they were being fired on by militants but they turned out to be Pakistani military personnel who had established a temporary campsite, they were quoted as saying.

According to the initial US account from the field, the commandos requested air strikes against the encampment, prompting the team to contact a joint border-control centre to determine whether Pakistani forces were in the area, a US official said.

The border-control centre is manned by US, Afghan and Pakistani representatives. But the US and Afghan forces conducting the November 26 commando operation had not notified the centre in advance that they planned to strike Taliban insurgents near that part of the border, the official said.

When called, the Pakistani representatives at the centre said there were no Pakistani military forces in the area identified by the commandos, clearing the way for the air strikes, the US officials said.

Washington has called it a tragic accident and offered its condolences, promising a full investigation. It has not apologised.

"There were lots of mistakes made," the newspaper quoted an official as saying.

The Journal said US officials have in the past expressed reservations about notifying the Pakistanis about operations, concerned the missions' details could leak out.

It added that the officials cautioned that the preliminary  account was based mainly on interviews with members of the commando team and could change as more information is gathered.

A formal report on the incident is due to be completed by US military investigators by December 23.

COMMENTS (36)

Noman | 12 years ago | Reply

IF ONE NATO/ American Air attack coming from Afghan airspace is such a BIG CRIME imagine how BIG is the CRIME of allowing and facilitating 70,000 SEVENTY THOUSAND SORTIES OF NATO/AMERICAN AIRCRAFT FROM PAKISTAN AIRFIELDS INTO AFGHANISTAN AND HOW ABOUT ALLOWING 300 SUPPLY TRUCKS/TANKERS TO NATO/ AMERICAN FORCES FROM PAKISTAN DAILY SINCE 2001. Pakistan army and establishment is a PARTNER in this great crime with the American Establishment..

Habibullah Mahboob | 12 years ago | Reply

According to my point of view the attack which has carried out last week someone has already know about already,it can happen with the help of millitary whose already engaged in same operation in the past against TTP in tribal areas.

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