US Ambassador Cameron Munter – Washington transferred more than 600 million dollars to the Pakistani government this week to pay for its efforts in the fight against violent extremists, the US embassy in Islamabad said Thursday. – AP Photo

ISLAMABAD: Washington transferred more than 600 million dollars to the Pakistani government this week to pay for its efforts in the fight against violent extremists, the US embassy in Islamabad said Thursday.

The 633 million dollar payment under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) programme came on Wednesday, amid reports that top US military commanders in Afghanistan were pushing to expand special forces ground raids across the border into Pakistan's lawless tribal areas.

“The Coalition Support Fund is designed to reimburse the government of Pakistan for expenses incurred fighting violent extremist groups,” the embassy said in a statement.

It added that the payment covered the first six months of this year and Pakistan had now received “approximately 8.76 billion dollars” since 2001 under the scheme.

The CSF process reimburses 27 nations, including Pakistan, for logistical, military and other support provided to Washington's overseas military operations.

Washington considers Pakistan's lawless tribal belt the global headquarters of al-Qaeda and says eliminating the militant threat is vital to winning the nine-year war against the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.

The United States has this year doubled missile strikes in the tribal belt, with around 100 attacks killing more than 600 people since January 1. – AFP