Pakistani tribal jirga condemns coalition bombing

By IRNA
Islamabad : A grand tribal jirga, or council of elders, on Sunday condemned air strike in Pakistani border region by the coalition forces in Afghanistan, which killed more than 30 people.

The spokesman of Pakistan army Major General Waheed Arshad confirmed that 10 persons were killed when rockets, fired from Afghan side, landed in Pakistani tribal region of North Waziristan.

TV channels reported that another air strike in South Waziristan tribal region by coalition forces in Afghanistan also killed more than 20 people on Saturday.


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The Pakistani army spokesman says that a strong protest has been lodged with the Coalition Forces.

A NATO spokesman has been quoted as saying that the attack in Pakistani territory was carried out with the coordination of Pakistani forces. The statement was denied by Pakistani army spokesman.

Waheed Arshad said that the attack was not coordinated with Pakistan. He avoided any further comments.

Some 300 tribal elders, religious clerics and elected councilors gathered at Miransha, the center of North Waziristan, and condemned the coalition bombing in the Pakistani tribal region and warned that they will not tolerate such actions in future, witnesses said.

Local administrator Peerzada Khan also attended the jirga, who read out a message from the Governor of North West Frontier Province Ali Jan Orakzai, asking the tribesmen to expel foreigners from their areas.

Khan asked the tribesmen to form committees for maintaining peace in their areas.

A Pakistani Taliban leader in Waziristan Haji Omar has said the coalition forces have targeted Pakistani territory in disappointment due to increasing Taliban attacks.

He said Taliban fighters have taken control of some areas in recent attacks and also inflicted heavy losses on coalition forces.

Pakistan army says that rockets landed in Pakistani territory when the coalition forces were carrying out operation against miscreants in Afghanistan when some mortar rounds hit this side of the border.

The statement said that 14 Pakistanis were also injured in the incident and 7 seriously injured were evacuated to the Hospitals for necessary medical treatment.

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