Nato/ISAF Attack on Pakistan Army Posts Was Deliberate Act of Aggression

Director General Military Operations, Maj Gen Ishfaq Nadeem has said that border attack by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Pakistani security check posts of Volcano was "a deliberate act of aggression and that the Nato/Isaf command knew within 15 minutes".

Maj Gen Ishfaq Nadeem has said that two (US AH-64 Apache) gunship helicopters had stopped targeting the Pakistani security check posts after firing for 10 to 15 minutes and officials of the International Security Assistance Force acknowledged that their gunship helicopters have been called back.

US AH-64 Apache gunship helicopters came back within 30 minutes and started the 2nd attack on the Pakistani posts and reinforcements which were sent for the assistance of the injured soldiers.

The Director General Military Operations, Maj Gen Ishfaq Nadeem has said that it was this deliberate second round of attack that disproves all claims by the ISAF and NATO officials that attack was a incident.

These attacks resulted in the death of 24 Pakistani troops which included 2 officers while another 15 were injured. DGMO said that it was an unprovoked attack in which ISAF forces deliberately violated all the agreed standard operating procedures. He said, “The detailed information of the posts was already with Isaf, including map references, etc, and it was impossible that they did not know these to be our posts”.

Maj Gen Ishfaq Nadeem also trashed the western media claims that NATO forces were targeting the militants crossing into Afghanistan. He said that Pakistani intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had provided specific details to the ISAF about 40 terrorists planning to attack in the Salala region from their safe havens in Afghanistan.

DGMO has said that “Three similar incidents happened in June ‘08, Sept ‘10 and July ‘11 and in all these cases, joint inquiries were conducted but it all came to naught, because they only give their version and not necessarily the facts. So we have still to decide if a joint inquiry is the way to go.”

The Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen Waheed Arshad has said that while technologically Isaf may be superior “it did not mean that we do not have the will or resolve to fight. We will be ready if given the orders”.

“Around 15-20 minutes past midnight, two helicopters appeared and started firing at the Volcano post. Upon seeing this, troops from nearby Boulder post started firing at the helicopters who then also targeted the Boulder post. By now, all communication channels between the two sides had been activated. The choppers pulled away around 01:05 hours. The engagement was intermittent. At this stage, the commanding officer ordered company commander to reinforce the Boulder post and as Major Mushtaq made his way towards the post with some troops, the helicopters reappeared around 1:15am and attacked the reinforcement party as well. Luckily, there were no casualties here. The second attack continued till around 2:15am with the troops engaging the helicopters with all available arms, including firing 26 air burst rounds.”

US & NATO Fails to Stop Afghan Cross-Border Attacks