Nato attack on Pakistan posts was legitimate – NATO

Nato attack on Pakistan posts was legitimate – NATO 

While expressing condolences to the grieved families of November 26 Nato-Isaf airstrikes, the Nato has said that their investigations have found both sides of the border involved in the deadly confrontation adding that the action was “legitimate within
the Laws of Armed Conflict and within their Rules of Engagement.”

“The investigation has ascertained that a series of mistakes were made on both sides in failing to properly co-ordinate their locations and actions, both before the operation and during the resulting engagement,” said Nato in a statement.

Nato reiterated that Pakistan had fired the first shot and the combined Nato/ISAF air attack was the reaction of that heavy machine gun and mortar fire.

“The combined international and Afghan force was initially fired upon by unidentified forces, then believed not to be Pakistani military, and legitimately responded in self-defence.”

The statement said that the Nato and ISAF forces did not knowingly fire at Pakistan outposts adding that “close air support was employed in self-defence in response to intense, heavy machine gun and mortar fire initiated by what turned out to be Pakistan
forces near the border in the vicinity of Salala.”

US-led Nato forces had attacked two Pakistan check posts in Muhmand agency on November 26, 2011 killing 24 troops and leaving several others injured. An enraged Islamabad immediately closed the supply routes of Nato from Pakistan and also asked the
US forces to evacuate Shamsi airbase within 15 days.

US vacated the airbase inside the given time frame and the Nato supply routes are still suspended making life quite difficult for America and its ally forces in Afghanistan.

“To date, there has been no appreciable impact to logistics inside Afghanistan,” said Pentagon spokesperson Captain John F. Kirby while talking to Express Tribune.

“Gen. Allen is confident that he can support the mission.  That said, the supply routes through Pakistan are important, and we would certainly like them to re-open.  That’s a decision only the government of Pakistan can make,” he added further.

Pentagon and Nato had promised to carry out a probe into the incident and December 23 was the date given by US to complete the investigation.

Pakistan army has once again down played findings of the probe reiterated that its forces did not attack the Afghan or US forces from across the border insisting that the firing from the Pakistan check posts was merely a retaliation to unprovoked Nato
airstrikes.

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Posted by Asma Rafique on Dec 23 2011. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry