ISLAMABAD, 6 May 2004 — Pakistan said yesterday it had lodged a protest with the United States over an incursion into its northwestern border territory by US forces operating in Afghanistan.

Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan told AFP the intrusion involved “a few troops” who on Sunday entered some 300 meters into Pakistani territory in the Lwara Mandi area on the border with Afghanistan.

The spokesman said the US troops searched a few shops and a petrol station but turned back as soon as they were informed that they were in Pakistani territory. “Pakistan has lodged an official protest with the US authorities here,” the spokesman said.

Pakistan has demanded an inquiry and has “also asked for its results to be communicated to us.” The government had also asked that such incidents should not be repeated, he said.

“The US authorities have regretted and they have said an inquiry is already under way and they said it was an inadvertent crossing.” US authorities said the accidental border crossing had occurred amid an ongoing operation by their forces on the Afghan side of the border as they hunt for Taleban and Al-Qaeda militants.

The spokesman also questioned US top military commander Gen. David Barno’s statement in Kabul, asking Pakistan to kill or capture foreign militants holed up in the tribal rim instead of granting them amnesty.

“We are making our own operational decisions under a well thought out strategy,” he said, adding that “we don’t kill people for the sake of sport, which is very dangerous.”

He said the ultimate objective was to flush out terrorists and “we are making progress in that direction.”

“Our strategy is good and contributes to the war on terror, second to none,” Khan said.

Pakistani authorities had on April 24 agreed not to prosecute five tribal militants wanted for allegedly sheltering Al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters in the volatile South Waziristan area. In exchange, the tribesmen promised not to indulge in any terrorist activities or act against the country’s interests.

More than 100 soldiers as well as local and foreign militants have been killed since Pakistan Army launched an operation on March 16 to hunt the militants.

The army claims to have arrested about 170 local and foreign suspects. Most of the foreigners were of Chechen, Uzbek or Arab origin.