The US-led coalition in Afghanistan has admitted it did not have permission from Pakistan to strike Taliban positions across the border over the weekend, citing a “miscommunication” problem.The coalition had insisted it was given the go-ahead for the attack inside Pakistan on Saturday that destroyed six Taliban firing posts on both sides of the frontier, killing more than a dozen rebels. This was rejected by the Pakistan Army, which said it had not been asked for authorisation. The foreign ministry in Islamabad said reports of permission being given were “speculative and fabricated”. The coalition said in a statement late Monday it had investigated further and found that Pakistan had not actually given permission. “We regret the miscommunication in this event,” said the coalition’s deputy commanding general for operations, Brigadier General Joseph Votel.
He said the coalition was committed to respecting the sovereign borders of Pakistan.
| "After all, they respect Afghanistan's." |