Fury at Pakistan border bombing

02/01/2003| IslamWeb

Hardline Islamic politicians in Pakistan have reacted with outrage at the US bombing of a border area at the weekend, calling it a violation of sovereignty. Pakistan's Government says the bomb was dropped on its territory during an operation by US troops in Afghanistan. The US military took the action after a Pakistani border guard apparently fired at a US patrol.
Qazi Hussain Ahmad, an MP of the Jamaat-i-Islami party, said mass protest rallies would be organised.

''The US bombing of Pakistani territory is an open violation of Pakistan's sovereignty," he said.

''The rallies will condemn this US interference."

The government's version of events contradicted US reports that the bomb had fallen inside Afghan territory, 300 metres from a Pakistani checkpoint.

School struck

Pakistani military spokesman Major-General Rashid Qureshi said: ''During an operation carried out by US troops in Afghanistan a bomb fell near the Durand Line in Pakistani territory."

There were no casualties or damage and Pakistan's military was investigating the incident, General Qureshi said.

The US military in Afghanistan said one of its warplanes had dropped a bomb after a Pakistani border scout fired on a US patrol, injuring a US soldier, near the Afghan frontier town of Shkin on Sunday.

Residents of the nearby town of Angoor Adda in the Pakistani border district of South Waziristan said they saw two bombs fall on an empty religious school, destroying its outer wall.

General Qureshi said he was unaware of a school being hit, but said there was a deserted building in the area where the bomb fell. Reports of the school being hit outraged legislators in the Islamist-ruled North-West Frontier Province, where anti-US feeling has run high since the American military campaign began in Afghanistan 14 months ago.

Strain on ties

The provincial assembly passed a motion unanimously on Wednesday condemning the bombing as a violation of airspace and sovereignty.

The American troops were hunting for al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters along the border area when they were reportedly fired on by the Pakistani scout. The US reportedly called in an F-16 airplane to drop a bomb on the disused school where it was believed the scout had taken refuge.

The clash and bombing threaten to strain the crucial co-operation between US and Pakistani forces in flushing out militants who have escaped over the border into Pakistan.


PHOTO CAPTION

Anti-US feelings run high in Pakistan's border provinces