Pakistan backed raid, says Nato

Pakistan backed raid, says Nato (NSI News Source Info) November 18, 2008: Nato-led troops in Afghanistan say they carried out an attack on an "enemy position" in Pakistan on Sunday with the help of Pakistani security forces. The International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said in a statement that it carried out the attack after one of its Afghan bases came under attack. Isaf said there were no casualties in the attack on its base. Correspondents say it is rare for Isaf to acknowledge such co-operation. There was no immediate Pakistani response. A statement by Isaf said that its base in Afghanistan's south-eastern Paktika province was hit by rocket attacks from a "location within Pakistan" on Sunday. The Nato-led forces said they were able to "identify the origin of the enemy rocket launches". The location has not been disclosed. "Upon positive identification, Isaf coordinated with the Pakistan military and fired a total of 20 artillery rounds on the enemy location," said the statement. "The artillery fire caused a secondary explosion at the rocket launch site, which indicates additional munitions in the location." Isaf said that the Pakistani soldiers had given an assurance they "would engage any insurgents attempting to flee deeper in Afghanistan". Though Pakistan has not officially reacted to the statement, a senior Pakistani army official told the BBC that "some level of ground coordination" did take place. He said the attack by the Isaf forces took place in Angoor Adda in the South Waziristan tribal region. The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Peshawar says such acknowledgement by foreign forces has often embarrassed Pakistan because it would not like to be seen to be cooperating with Western forces against Pakistani people. The US and Nato have called on Pakistan to do more to curb militants operating in the border area.