new york city entertainment: Pakistan in Afghan rocket denial

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Pakistan in Afghan rocket denial

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has accused Pakistan of firing more than 450 rockets into Afghan territory over the past three weeks.

He has blamed Pakistani forces for the attacks which have killed 36 people, including 12 children.

Officials say the attacks have been concentrated in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar from where Nato forces have withdrawn.

Afghan border officials say Pakistani Taliban have moved into the districts.

President Karzai said he had raised the rocket attacks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari at a regional anti-terrorism conference in Teheran on Saturday.

"They should be stopped immediately," Associated Press quoted President Karzai as saying.

And "if they are not being carried out by Pakistan, Pakistan should make it clear who is behind the attacks," he said.

The president said he had discussed the attacks with the Afghan Nato commander Gen David Petraeus and US Ambassador Karl Eikenberry on Sunday.

Meanwhile, an Afghan defence ministry spokesman warned that Afghanistan would retaliate if attacked.

"The government of Pakistan should understand that there will be a reaction for killing Afghan citizens," AP quoted Mohammad Zahir Azimi as saying.

Afghan officials say about 2,000 families have fled the border areas which have come under fire from Pakistan.

In recent weeks, Islamabad has also complained of a number of cross-border militant attacks in Pakistan's north-west and has lodged official protests with Kabul over the incursions.

Securing the long, porous border that divides Pakistan and Afghanistan has been a major challenge for the two countries.

The tribal areas on Pakistan's western border are infested with various insurgent groups and Afghanistan and Nato have long complained that Pakistan should do more to curb militants on its soil.

Many of the various militant groups along the frontier are closely linked.

This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.