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Pakistan denies helping US Army`s fire in its territory

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Feb 2, IRNA -- Pakistani military on Wednesday rejected a 
claim by a senior US Army officer that its troops have recently 
helped direct US artillery fire into Pakistan. 
"This is baseless and ridiculous," military spokesman Major 
General Shaukat Sultan said when his reaction was sought to the 
remarks by Army Col. Cardon B. Crawford, the director of operations 
for the US military command in Afghanistan, who has been quoted as 
telling reporters in Washington that Pakistani troops helped direct 
US artillery fire into Pakistan. 
Lt. Col. Pamela Keeton, spokeswoman for the US military command 
in Afghanistan, was also quoted as saying that the incident happened 
in early November and was mentioned in a US public statement Nov. 6. 
Officials suspect some 600 to 700 mainly Uzbek and Chechen 
fighters allied to Al-Qaeda were hiding in the area who fled 
Afghanistan in late 2001 when the ruling Taliban militia were 
toppled. 
The Pakistan Army says its troops have killed some 150 Al-Qaeda- 
linked militants in a series of offensives in South Waziristan since 
last October, destroying Al-Qaeda sanctuaries and training camps. 
Some of those already killed and captured had Uzbek, Turkmen and 
Chechen features. 
Keeton said militants were firing mortars at the Afghan town of 
Shkin in Paktika province from Wana, the headquarters of South 
Waziristan tribal region, when Pakistani troops used US-supplied 
radios to call in adjustments to artillery fire from American forces 
on the Afghan side of the border. 
Pakistani officials have repeatedly said Pakistani forces are 
cooperating with US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan only in 
intelligence sharing. 
AHM/TSH/2321/1432