Pakistan protests after Nato helicopters wound troops
The Pakistan army has lodged a "strong protest" after two Nato helicopters injured two Pakistani soldiers in the Pakistani region of North Waziristan.
An army spokesman said Nato "violated Pakistan airspace" and demanded a meeting with Nato officials.
Western military sources say two helicopters came under attack twice before they opened fire. But local witnesses say the aircraft fired first.
It is not clear if the helicopters crossed the border.
The reports come two weeks after Osama Bin Laden was killed by US commandos in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad - prompting Pakistani condemnation.
'Retaliatory gunshots'
Two helicopters had been sent to support a coalition base, which was under intermittent fire in eastern Afghanistan's Khost province, an unnamed Western military official told the BBC.
The helicopters came under fire twice from across the border, and only returned fire when they were attacked a second time, the official said.
Local witnesses say the helicopters targeted the post from Afghanistan.
Pakistan's Express 24/7 television channel quoted officials saying that the helicopters were about to enter Pakistani territory when gunshots were fired. They moved back and fired retaliatory gunshots which dislodged rubble on nearby mountains, injuring the Pakistani soldiers, the channel said.
Pakistan army spokesman, Maj Gen Athar Abbas said: "Two Nato helicopters violated Pak air space today at Admi Kot Post North Wazirstan Agency in the early morning.
"Pakistan army lodged strong protest and demanded flag meeting."
A spokeswoman for the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said: "Isaf is aware of the incident and is assessing it to determine what happened. This effort will be pursued in a cooperative manner using the border coordination centre partnership."
Last September, Nato aircraft crossed the border from Afghanistan in an attack which Pakistan says killed three soldiers. Subsequently Pakistan temporarily blocked a key Nato supply route from Pakistan into Afghanistan.
The alleged attack comes one day after two US drone missiles struck the restive border area of North Waziristan, killing at least seven suspected militants.
The BBC's Shoaib Hasan, in Pakistan, says the victims included the commander of an al-Qaeda splinter group.
Naeem Akasha was the head of the Jaish-ul-Mehdi, a group that has attracted a number of recruits from western countries.
A local politician recently told the BBC these included German, French and British nationals, our correspondent says.
US drones frequently strike the tribal areas along the Afghan border, which are are considered to be a haven for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants who launch attacks in Afghanistan.
Correspondents say only US forces have the capacity to deploy such aircraft, but that drone attacks have the tacit approval of the Pakistani authorities. Pakistani leaders deny secretly supporting them.
BBC News
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