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Praise for Pakistan after al Qaeda raid

U.S. observers in vicinity of firefight

Pakistani border troops have been trying to prevent al Qaeda and Taliban members setting up base inside Pakistan
Pakistani border troops have been trying to prevent al Qaeda and Taliban members setting up base inside Pakistan  


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Ten Pakistani soldiers and several al Qaeda suspects have been killed during a raid on hideouts close to the Afghan border, officials in Islamabad say.

The action has drawn praise and sympathy from the U.S. for the sacrifices made in difficult circumstances.

The ongoing operation resulted in the capture of at least one al Qaeda agent, a spokesman for Pakistan's President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf said.

He said forces were continuing to pursue other suspects, some of whom are believed to be Chechens.

The shootout began with a raid in a tribal zone near the Afghan border where Pakistani officials believed al Qaeda operatives were hiding after crossing the border from Afghanistan.

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CNN's Tom Mintier reports from Islamabad
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The United States, meanwhile, has thanked Pakistan for the sacrifices made by Pakistani soldiers in their battle with suspected al Qaeda militants, Reuters reports.

"We extend our deep appreciation to the Government of Pakistan ... but deeply regret the deaths of those soldiers killed in the line of duty. Our sympathies go out to their families," the State Department said in a statement.

"Since September 11, Pakistan has time and again shown itself to be a stalwart partner in the coalition against terrorism. That several of its soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice once again proves its commitment to our common struggle against terror," it added.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage also applauded the Pakistani operations, Reuters says.

"Right now Pakistan is on the right side of the ledger," he said.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf "has ordered his soldiers into the heretofore forbidden tribal areas. They are suffering casualties, very much at our behest," he added.

CNN has confirmed that a U.S. Special Forces team was inside Pakistan and in the immediate vicinity when the firefight broke out.

The U.S. observers withdrew when the fighting began so they would not become involved. U.S. Special Forces are providing intelligence and assistance to the Pakistanis as they search for al Qaeda in this often-lawless tribal area.

Helicopters have been brought in to provide airborne support for the operation and to evacuate those wounded in the gun battle.

The raid, which began in the pre-dawn hours, took place after local tribal leaders in the area -- normally off-limits to the Pakistani military -- told the soldiers where the al Qaeda members were hiding, the spokesman said.

The battle took place about 300 kilometers from the capital Islamabad.

Minimum force

A statement from the Pakistani military said the operation had been carried out with concern for the safety of local civilians.

"In an effort to apprehend the al Qaeda elements using minimum force due to concern for safety of the civilian population, 10 security persons" were killed, a statement from the military said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Special Forces are continuing their operations on the other side of the border in Afghanistan, searching for al Qaeda and Taliban remnants.

Those forces did not take part in the raid.

The Pakistani casualties are thought to be the first suffered by the military since it sent troops to try and prevent Taliban and al Qaeda fighters from crossing into Pakistan.

Several thousand troops were deployed to the often-lawless border region following the start of the U.S.-led campaign over Afghanistan in late 2000.

On Saturday Musharraf announced that as part of that campaign Pakistani security officials had arrested about 300 suspected al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the tribal area.



 
 
 
 







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