Pakistan opposes US military raids

Several Pakistani civilians have lost their lives due to the US non-UN-sanctioned attacks inside Pakistani territory.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/156591.html


Pakistan has opposed any ground military operations in its territory by US troops amid reports of the US expansion of ground war into the Asian country.

Following a New York Times report on Monday about the US expanding of ground operations across the border into Pakistan's tribal areas, a spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday Pakistan is capable of confronting militants in its tribal regions.

On Monday, US military officials told the New York Times that American commanders had drawn up plans to attack militant hideouts in Pakistan.

In response to the newspaper report, Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, said, "Pakistani forces are capable of handling the militant threat within our borders and no foreign forces are allowed or required to operate inside our sovereign territory."

The United States has launched scores of airstrikes in Pakistan since 2008, but ground operations have been rare.

Islamabad has repeatedly condemned the aerial raids, saying the attacks undermine the Asian country's sovereignty.

Washington claims the air strikes target militants, however, most of the victims of US non-UN-sanctioned attacks in Pakistan are civilians.

Almost one-thousand Pakistanis have been killed in more than 100 US drone attacks during the past two years.

On Sept. 30, Pakistan, in retaliation to the surge in the US cross-border attacks, closed a key border crossing for 10 days to NATO supply trucks. During the closure of the route, militants intensified their attacks on the NATO trucks and oil tankers.

However, the September Pakistani move against the US-led forces did not stop the United States military from carrying out the drone attacks inside Pakistani territory.