US helicopter shot at in mission over Pakistan

In an indication of the continued and growing opposition within Pakistan to American-led operations against the Taliban, two US helicopters have come under fire in Pakistan as their crews tried to retrieve the wreckage of another chopper that crashed during last weekend's Special Forces raids.

A US officer said yesterday the retrieval crews were fired at on Monday, as they were carrying a Black Hawk helicopter that had crashed early on Saturday, during a dust storm, called a "brown-out".

The accident killed two US Special Forces soldiers, part of a search-and-rescue team who were on stand-by while US Army Rangers and troopers believed to be from the élite Delta Force staged night raids on two targets near Kandahar.

A Pentagon spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel George Rhynedance, said the retrieval crew returned fire and left the area. They also left the Black Hawk wreckage they were trying to pick up. He said the crew came under light, sporadic small-arms fire. Officials did not know who was shooting but it was the most hostile act reported so far against Americans in Pakistan.

Colonel Rhynedance declined to say where the retrieval crew was but added that the shooting was brief "and what we consider harassing fire". He said the United States was asking through diplomatic channels that Pakistan investigate the incident. "Pakistan has been giving us outstanding support within the limits of what it has agreed," he said, referring to the country's agreement to offer intelligence and to allow the use of its airspace and some airfields.

Colonel Rhynedance said the retrieval crews were taking the wreckage in a sling under another helicopter and were going to stop for a scheduled refuelling on their way back to base, which he also declined to identify. They had set the wreckage down so they could land for refueling when the shooting started, the spokesman said.

The incident underlines the violent opposition among Pakistanis against the American and British campaign in Afghanistan. The border areas of the province of Baluchistan in western Pakistan, is inhabited by semi-autonomous Pashtun tribes, many of whom have been demonstrating in support of their ethnic cousins in the Taliban.

Near one Pakistani base being used by US personnel, police yesterday set up blockades and sandbag bunkers against mass demonstrations after militants vowed to storm the base. More than 100 people had been arrested after a protest at Jacobabad, site of Shahbaz Air Base.

Other sources yesterday confirmed that an American MH47 Chinook helicopter lost its front wheels and a piece of undercarriage when it hit some obstacle during the covert weekend raids. The Taliban said two US helicopters were shot down.

Video footage from the Al-Jazeera television network in the Gulf state of Qatar showed people gathered around several large wheels that the Taliban said were a downed helicopter's landing gear.

The Chinook hit a wall or barrier as it was taking special forces into Afghanistan late on Friday night, Colonel Rhyne-dance said. There were no injuries to troops and no other damage to the helicopter. The troops were able to finish their mission and return to their base.

He declined to say whether the accident occurred during the assault on the compound of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar compound or the simultaneous one at the airfield.