Senate panel informed Nato intentionally intruded

ZULFIQAR AHMAD

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel was informed on Thursday that Nato intentionally intruded into Pakistani territory and attacked two military border posts on November 26 in Mohmand Agency, killing 24 soldiers.

The director-general Military Operations Maj Gen Ashfaq Nadeem told Senate standing committee on defence and defence production, which met with Senator Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi (retd) in the chair that coalition forces had deliberately attacked Pakistani military posts in Salala.

Each bunker of these posts was targeted by the coalition forces, he said, adding that Nato officials deceived the Pakistani troops on duty at the co-ordination centre by giving them wrong information about the location of the operation.

After attack on Salala checkpost, he added, it was wrongly informed that Volcano checkpost had come under attack. When the company commander rushed to the checkpost, he saw Nato helicopters had returned after doing the desired damage, he said.

"At the time of the first attack, a three-star general at the US embassy was informed...the strikes have halted for a moment and will resume again. The bunkers were specifically targeted and destroyed," he added.

He said terrorists always hide inside ditches and cracks and never come up on mountain peaks. The DG MO said the only confusion was if the attacks were carried out by US Special Forces or Nato.

Security forces have been redeployed after rebuilding the Volcano and Bolder checkposts, said DG MO, adding that we can not afford to leave the area vacant because the two checkposts were built to curb militants' infiltration and had been serving the purpose very effectively.

Committee chairman Lt Gen Javed Ashraq Qazi (retd) said these posts were very effective as Pakistan was able to halt militants' infiltration from Afghanistan. "This is a matter of our national security...there will be no compromise whatsoever," he added.

Qazi said the American CIA is in control of some matters of fatal importance in Afghanistan like drone attacks. There is still confusion over recent strikes in Muhmand Agency whether it was by US Special Forces or Nato.

He said Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has given orders to the unit commanders, deployed along the western border that they had 'full liberty' to respond to any cross-border attacks by Nato forces stationed in Afghanistan, which is a very good decision.

"This is a very good decision and there should be 'no ambiguity in the rules of engagement for everyone down the chain of command' if they faced an attack by Nato forces...such an action would require no clearance at any level and the army would provide resources as required on ground," he added.