MIRAMSHAH, May 4: US-led coalition forces intruded into Pakistani territory and searched a number of shops before moving back into Afghanistan on Monday evening, official sources told Dawn.
These sources said 60 coalition soldiers in four Humvee trucks intruded about two kilometres inside the Pakistani territory in Lwara Mandai Bazaar in Dattakhel tehsil, about 90 kilometres west of regional headquarters of North Waziristan tribal region at around 7.00pm.
Witnesses said the coalition forces searched shops in the bazaar and broke open the lock of a closed shop before moving back into the Paktika area of Afghanistan.
Members of Pakistani troops, regular as well as paramilitary forces deployed at the checkpoint barely 100 meters from the scene, did nothing to stop the intrusion or challenge the intruding forces, witnesses and officials confirmed.
The officials said the incident had been brought into the notice of the government. The Inter Services Publication Relations (ISPR), the spokesman of the Pakistan Armed Forces, said it was collecting details of the incident. "The version given out by political authorities is fine," Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan told Dawn by phone from Islamabad.
This is the first deep intrusion by coalition forces following a threat, (later retracted) by US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad that the coalition forces could take action if Pakistan did not take action against Taliban and foreign militants hiding in tribal areas.
Witnesses from the across the border said that unidentified elements attacked a military base in Sandee, Khost, later that night with rockets and machineguns. The intensity of the attack was reported to be very high.
Witnesses said the American gunships and planes immediately came and heavily bombed the area and the bombing continued till 4.00am. They said the American and coalition forces had moved into the area a large number of troops to carry out search for foreign and local militants belonging to Taliban and Hezb-i-Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
