Pakistani troops and tribesmen opened fire on two United States helicopters that crossed from Afghanistan into a north-western tribal region, intelligence officials said yesterday.
The helicopters did not return fire and re-entered Afghan airspace without landing, the officials said.
They said informants in the field told them of the incursion about a mile inside the disputed and poorly demarcated border in the Alwara Mandi area in North Waziristan.
Pakistan’s army and the US military in Afghanistan said they had no information on the reported incursion.
The number of missile attacks by US drone aircraft in the remote tribal areas has multiplied in recent weeks.
A week ago, US helicopters reportedly landed near Angoor Ada, a border village in South Waziristan, but returned towards Afghanistan after troops fired warning shots. The US action prompted General Ashfaq Kayani to issue a statement saying that foreign troops would not be allowed on Pakistani soil and Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would be defended at all costs.
The latest alleged incident will add to tensions between Islamabad and Washington
