According to reports from the region, the US military in Afghanistan again followed the Taliban into Pakistan and killed fighters in Pakistani territory. US helicopters pounded Taliban fighters in the tribal agency of Kurram, killing five, according to Geo News:
According to sources, two Nato helicopters violated the Pakistani border and shelled in Kurram Agency area at 5am this morning and turned back to Afghanistan.
An Afghan Police commander Haq Yar Khan confirmed that Nato helicopters trespassed Pakistani border and attacked in Kurram Agency area, killing at least five people and inuring scores others.
The Afghan Commander said the action was undertaken after the allied forces of Nato forces were attacked in Afghanistan province of Paktia, adding the attackers came from Kurram Agency area and turned back to the area after attack.
I’ve contacted ISAF to confirm or deny the report, but have not received an answer as of yet. If confirmed, the latest incident of US forces following the Taliban in hot pursuit into Pakistan would be the third in three days. Over the weekend, the US killed more than 30 Haqqani Network fighters while pursuing them from Khost into North Waziristan (some reports put the number killed as high as 60).
One note on the Geo News story above: the US helos didn’t “trespass” into Pakistan. The US and Pakistan have an agreement that allows for hot pursuit up to six miles into Pakistani territory if Taliban forces attack in Afghanistan and cross back into Pakistan.
Update:
ISAF hasn’t confirmed US helos went across the border, but hasn’t really denied it either. The clash took place in Khost.
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4 Comments
The Pakistani army has a long history of going undercover as irregular combatants. From Kashmir at the time of independence to the Kargil incursion and the infamous airlift-of-evil at Kunduz, the line between professional soldier and irregular combatant has been repeatedly blurred for this rogue army. Hot pursuit will only expose their supply chains that keep this insurgency going. No wonder they are worried. How ironic for a major non-NATO ally to get bombed by NATO! Their lies are finally catching up to them.
This is the way to go. Bomb the terrorist at their sancturies & factories. No more sponsership for terrorist Pakistani Army. Yes, NATO can do it. Majority of the people in Waziristan & Pashtunistan will support the clean approach of simply dismantling the sancturies of terrorists. Pashtuns are already suffering because of Taliban & Pakistani army. They dont know which one is the better enemy. So it is time not to play any more games. Just Bomb the 150 terrorist sancturies & factories in Pakistan & finish the terrorists & its sponser once & for all. By the look of it, Petreas is the man who means business.
As much as am hesitant to stir up such an unstable and flammable pot as Pakistan I must say that these cross-border incursions are long overdue. If the Pak authorities refuse to clean up the biggest collection of psychotic, throat-cutting terrorists in the world that resides in their own back yard then western security forces have every right to do so if not the outright duty to do so. This is the only way to bring an end to this Long War.
India should have followed a similar hot pursuit policy during the Kargil war. Half the menace would have been cut at its roots long ago