U.S. forces mistook Pakistani soldiers for insurgents, joint investigation finds

[News_Editor]

U.S. forces mistook Pakistani soldiers for insurgents, joint investigation finds

2010-10-07 00:25:58 GMT+7 (ICT)

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) – U.S. forces mistook Pakistani soldiers for insurgents when they carried out an airstrike in Pakistani airspace last week, according to the results of a joint investigation that was published on Wednesday evening.

The incident last Thursday happened when two U.S. helicopters crossed the border with Pakistan from Afghanistan and carried out an airstrike, accidentally killing two Pakistani security personnel.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said a coalition force observed what they believed was a group of insurgents attempting to fire mortars at a coalition base in the border area of Dand Patan district in Paktiya Province. Two of its helicopters, which were American, then engaged the suspects after they entered Pakistani airspace.

After the initial strike, the two helicopters received small arms fire from individuals in a building just across the border in Pakistan. ISAF said its forces then re-entered Pakistani airspace and attacked the building, which was later identified as a Pakistan border outpost.

Two 'armed individuals' who were killed in the strike were in fact two Pakistani Frontier Scouts. Four others were injured. A joint Pakistan military-ISAF team, in their initial assessment, concluded that the helicopters fired in response to the small arms fire and had mistaken the armed individuals for the insurgents they had been pursuing.

"The assessment team considered it most probable that they had fired in an attempt to warn the helicopters of their presence," ISAF said in a statement. "Unfortunately, following the engagement, it was discovered that the dead and wounded were members of the Pakistan Frontier Scouts."

"We believe the Pakistani border guard was simply firing warning shots after hearing the nearby engagement and hearing the helicopters flying nearby," said U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Tim Zadalis, ISAF IJC director of air plans and assessment team leader. "This tragic event could have been avoided with better coalition force coordination with the Pakistan military."

ISAF Commander General David Petraeus also offered ISAF's 'deepest sympathy' and condolences to the families of those killed and wounded, to the Pakistan military, and the people of Pakistan itself. "We deeply regret this tragic loss of life and will continue to work with the Pakistan military and government to ensure this doesn't happen again," Petraeus said.

Meanwhile, also on Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson extended an apology to Pakistan on behalf of the American people for the incident. "We extend our deepest apology to Pakistan and the families of the Frontier Scouts who were killed and injured," Patterson said. "Pakistan's brave security forces are our allies in a war that threatens both Pakistan and the U.S."

The Ambassador noted that the U.S. will coordinate with the government of Pakistan to prevent such accidents from taking place in the future.

Pakistan has strongly protested to both NATO and ISAF for the airstrike, which it views as a violation and breach of the UN mandate under which ISAF operates.

"Incursions and strikes of this nature are not only unacceptable but could oblige Pakistan to consider response options," the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. "Such incidents create serious misgivings and thus defeat the very basis of cooperation in pursuit of the common objective of combating terrorism."

In response to Thursday's incident, Pakistan decided to block a NATO supply route into Afghanistan. "We will have to see whether we are allies or enemies," Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said.

Thursday's incident was not the only one. It followed two similar aerial attacks in northwest Pakistan that left dozens of suspected insurgents killed. Pakistan also strongly protested against these airstrikes.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen offered regrets and termed the incidents as most unfortunate, and assured that NATO considered Pakistan as an important partner and will carry out a detailed assessment of the incident. He also expressed hope that the supply routes will promptly be reopened.

But the airstrikes also prompted a wave of attacks against NATO oil supply tankers in Pakistan. Most recently, at least 22 NATO oil tankers were set ablaze in southwest Pakistan on early Wednesday morning, killing one driver.

The attack took place around 6 a.m. local time when unidentified gunmen opened fire at NATO trucks parked near Akhtarabad by-pass, not far from Quetta in southwest Pakistan. Around 40 trucks were parked at the site.

And on late Wednesday evening, at least six NATO trucks were attacked in the city of Nowshera in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It was not immediately known if there were any casualties in that attack.

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