Fighting Erupts Between Pakistan and NATO

Simmering relations between Pakistan and NATO erupted nto fighting early Saturday when American choppers killed 25 soldiers at a border post near the town of Jamrud.  More Pakistan troops were wounded.

Dawn, the BBC, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, the Times of India and others reported the attack, which was followed immediately by the closure of the main transport route into Afghanistan. They quoted Pakistani TV, military and government officials.

The attack occurred in the same area where Pakistan forces have been fighting the Taliban.

NATO said it was aware an incident had occurred but it didn’t have details.

Relations between Islamabad and Washington have grown increasingly tense. Pakistan is accused of providing some support to anti-Afghan governments.

The U.S. incursion into Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden outraged our main ally in the Afghan war. In turn the fact that Pakistan had allowed the author of the 9/11 attacks to hide in its territory for years made things even worse.

This was at least the second such incident, but the previous one involved only two dead and the two sides worked it out.