Slain US soldiers were training Pak paramilitary

The American soldiers who were killed in a blast in Pakistan's Lower Dir district on Wednesday were members of the United States Army's Special Forces, which has been training the (paramilitary) Frontier Corps to fight against the Al Qaeda and the Taliban, according to a report by The News.

The death of the three soldiers grabbed headlines as this is the first time, since the US army invaded Afghanistan in October 2001, that an US soldier has been killed in Pakistan.

Earlier, rediff.com's Tahir Ali had reported that the three American soldiers were in Lower Dir district to monitor the operations of the Pakistan army. The report pointed out that Lower Dir formed a crucial geographical link which united the Taliban militants in Swat, Federally Administrated Tribal Area and Waziristan.

The three soldiers were in Pakistan as part of a $100 million Pentagon-funded training programme for the Frontier Corps, The News quoted sources as saying.

The slain troopers were part of a 100-member strong military training unit, which was involved in training a paramilitary commando unit of over 1000 men, to carry out operations against Al Qaeda and Taliban militants in the tribal regions near the Afghanistan border.

The Pentagon wanted the specially-trained forces to hit back against the militants who often crossed over to Afghanistan to conduct ambushes against the US-led allied forces, reported The News.

While the US administration has repeatedly denied the presence of its troops on Pakistani soil, the local government has never officially acknowledged the programme, given the Opposition's strong protests against American military presence in Pakistan.

The News reported that initially, the trainers conducted training sessions in secure compounds, but they had lately started accompanying Pakistani troops during special guerrilla operations.

On Wednesday, militants targeted a convoy comprising the soldiers, Pakistani troops and journalists, while it was on its way to a girls' school.

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Azam Tariq has claimed responsibility for the roadside bombing, adding that the victims belonged to controversial US security firm Blackwater.

But The News quoted military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas as saying that the American soldiers were in Pakistan to train the Frontier Corps.

According to sources quoted by The News, the Pentagon is planning to spend nearly $400 million in the next few years and also send American marines to train the Frontier Corps.