WASHINGTON, April 26: Confusion continues to surround reports in sections of the American press, officially denied by Pakistan, that United States troops or security elements are operating within Pakistan in search of Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

Official sources here, from Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, now on a trip to the region, have been declining to comment on reports this week that US advisers were working with Pakistani troops or that covert US military units had been conducting reconnaissance operations in Pakistan and had participated in attacks on suspected Al Qaeda hideouts there.

A senior Pentagon official told Dawn on Friday that it was up to the Pakistani government to discuss publicly reports relating to what took place in Pakistan.

Pentagon spokespersons had adopted a similar position in the regular briefing on Wednesday, saying: “We think it is best to let countries talk about what goes on in their country. Different countries have different concerns, different domestic considerations. Pakistan has been extraordinarily helpful. Their commitment to this war has been very, very helpful. The cooperation continues to get better and better all the time. And we’ll just leave it at that.”

One of the briefers had added that the United States “had military forces working with them (Pakistan), and to go below that level I think is really not warranted”.

The question was also raised at the State Department briefing on Friday afternoon, when spokesman Richard Boucher reiterated the department’s position that it was up to the Pentagon to comment on operational matters.

CNN reported on Friday afternoon that no US troops were involved in combat operations inside Pakistan, but an informal arrangement might exist whereby small US units could work with Pakistani forces to look for Al Qaeda fighters.

Pakistan ambassador Maleeha Lodhi was asked, at a luncheon interview with reporters and editors at The Washington Times, to comment on the report about American advisers being permitted to accompany Pakistani security forces on hunts for Osama bin Laden. The ambassador, according to the paper, refused to confirm the report.

She said close intelligence cooperation had allowed Pakistani forces to capture many Al Qaeda agents, including top Osama aide Abu Zubaydah in a March 28 raid in Faisalabad.

Should additional intelligence information be available on Osama or his allies, “I can assure you what will happen is what happened to others crossing from Afghanistan — they will be apprehended and handed over to the United States,” the ambassador told The Washington Times.

The report of the interview, published on Thursday, recalled that Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar had told the paper last month that “there is no problem: US forces can cross the border into Pakistan if necessary — we should discuss it.” But other senior Pakistani officials have said no US forces will be allowed to operate inside Pakistan.

In her interview, Dr Lodhi also said it was important for the United States to review its position on not extending the International Security Assistance Force beyond Kabul.