NATO troops building up on Pak-Afghan border

Peshawar, July 16 : The Pakistan Army is gearing up for "any eventuality" in the wake of a build up of US-led coalition forces on the Afghan border.

Villagers and officials in North Waziristan, requesting anonymity, said that hundreds of NATO troops had been airlifted to a border area near Lawara village.

"The coalition troops have started to strengthen their positions after setting up camp in the border areas adjacent to the Pak-Afghan border and US helicopters have been spotted hovering over target areas as support," the officials said.

Reports from Afghanistan have said that helicopters have been transporting tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to Sarobagh and other landing strips in Khost province, which is close to Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the Daily Times reported.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, Major General Athar Abbas, played down concerns, by saying it was probably a routine movement and the media had created "unnecessary hype".

He said the movements were restricted to Afghan territory and were in preparation for an exercise or an operation there.

"We closely monitor all such moves. So nothing occurs too close to the border. Certainly, we have co-ordination and communication with each other," Major General Abbas added.

However, officials said that the Pakistan Army deployed along the Pak-Afghan border has been placed on high alert in case of any infiltration.

A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said there was no question of entering Pakistan.

"Our mandate stops at the border," NATO spokesman, Captain Mike Finney, said.

Meanwhile, Bajaur Taliban spokesman, Maulvi Omar, welcomed the build up on the border as a chance to kill more Americans.

"It's a gift that they're coming here on our land and making it easy for us to kill our enemies, the enemies of Muslims," he said.

ANI