US-led and Afghan troops forces strike inside Pakistan (Pakistan says w/o permission)

[Flabbergasted]

Daily Times
Monday, August 27, 2007
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C08%5C27%5Cstory_27-8-2007_pg7_1
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Afghan forces strike inside Pakistan

* Pakistan military denies permission was sought or granted
* Clashes in Afghanistan kill 12

KABUL: US-led and Afghan troops struck Taliban posts inside Pakistan, which denied giving permission, as new clashes left more than 30 rebels dead and there were claims on Sunday of civilian casualties.

The US-led coalition said it received the go-ahead from Pakistan to strike across the border on Saturday, but this was rejected by the chief military spokesman in Islamabad. Afghan and coalition forces used mortars and artillery fire to destroy insurgent attacking positions on both sides of the border after a military post in Afghanistan came under attack, the coalition said in a statement.

“The Pakistani military gave permission for the Afghan National Security Forces to fire on the targets located within Pakistan,” it said. Six insurgent positions were destroyed, three on each side of the border, and more than a dozen insurgents were killed.

A Pakistani military spokesman denied any permission was given. “There was no attack, no firing from our side of the border. And there was no permission asked by them or given by us,” Major General Waheed Arshad said. US military spokeswoman, Captain Vanessa Bowman, insisted however that “this was fully coordinated with Pakistan and agreed on”.