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Pakistan Condemns Raid, Blames U.S. Troops

STEVE INSKEEP, host:

Americans have not confirmed it but Pakistanis believe that U.S. commandos took part in a raid on their soil. Pakistanis say as many as 20 people were killed in that assault; it happened near the border with Afghanistan. Today, Pakistan's foreign minister angrily condemned the attack. NPR's Phillip Reeves reports from Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

PHILLIP REEVES: The protests from Pakistan are getting louder. The army's joined in, calling the attack an act of aggression, a completely unprovoked act of killing. Missile strikes from U.S. jets and unmanned drones against targets inside Pakistan happen from time-to-time and draw protests from Pakistanis, especially when they kill civilians.

This time, though, it seems U.S. commandos flew from Afghanistan into Pakistan by helicopter, disembarked and began raiding houses. This is the first major example in which foreign forces on the ground have carried out a deadly attack on Pakistani soil.

This is a highly emotive issue with Pakistanis. That's one reason Pakistan's government, a fragile coalition, has been so outspoken in its condemnation of the attack. Today, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Kareshi(ph) addressed parliament. He said the U.S. should review its approach and called such attacks counterproductive.

Mr. SHAH MEHMOOD KARESHI (Foreign Minister, Pakistan): They will fuel hatred; they will fuel hatred.

REEVES: Phillip Reeves, NPR News, Islamabad. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Philip Reeves is an award-winning international correspondent covering South America. Previously, he served as NPR's correspondent covering Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India.