Zardari backs US against terrorism

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan stands with the US against international terrorism, the Muslim nation's presidential front-runner wrote in a column appearing on Thursday amid furor over a US-led cross-border attack in Pakistani territory.

The raid in the South Waziristan tribal region was the first known foreign ground assault in Pakistan against a Taliban haven. The Pakistani government summoned the US ambassador to protest the incursion, which officials said killed at least 15 people, including civilians.

An American official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said US troops conducted the raid Wednesday about 1 mile beyond the Afghan frontier.

The boldness of the thrust fed speculation about the intended target. But it was unclear whether any extremist leader was killed or captured in the operation, which occurred in one of the militant strongholds dotting a frontier region considered a likely hiding place for Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida's no. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi condemned the attack in an impassioned speech to lawmakers on Thursday, saying it “violated the sovereignty of Pakistan.” He also said “no important terrorist or high-value target” was killed.

“Innocent citizens, including women and children, have been targeted,” Qureshi said. Officials said they had no indication US forces captured anyone in the raid. A foreign ministry spokesman said the government had no information al-Qaida leaders were in the area at the time.


Source : Times Of India