Pak asks US to vacant airbase within 15 days

Pak asks US to vacant airbase within 15 days

The deeply strained relationship between Pakistan and the United States appears to have taken yet another turn for the worse, in the aftermath of what Pakistan describes as an unprovoked pre-dawn attack on its forces by NATO aircraft across the Afghan border. At least 26 Pakistani military personnel, including two officers, were killed, and 14 others were wounded. Islamabad is strongly protesting the incident.

Pakistan has blocked NATO's supply routes that pass through its territory to Afghanistan, following what officials here describe as an aerial attack on its soldiers in the early hours of Saturday morning local time.

The Pakistani military says, NATO helicopters and fighter jets carried out unprovoked firing on two of its posts in the Mohmand tribal district bordering Afghanistan. A military statement calls for strong and urgent action against those responsible "for this aggression."

Washington's Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad to explain the incident. Munter says, Washington regrets the loss of life among any Pakistani servicemen, and promised to work closely with Pakistan to find out what happened.Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani has strongly condemned the attack, and convened an emergency meeting of senior leaders to discuss next steps.