WASHINGTON: The head of the US Central Command is urging Pakistan to share a map of its facilities and installations near the Afghan border to help avert episodes like the one that killed 24 Pakistani forces last month.
US Marine Corps General James Mattis, the commander, said in a statement on Monday that the strike's chief lesson was that "we must improve border coordination and this requires a foundational level of trust on both sides of the border."
Mattis told the allied commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, to take steps to prevent "friendly fire" incidents and share them with Pakistan's military "if possible," an apparent reference to continuing strains.
Mattis directed Allen, commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force, to seek full disclosure of all facilities and installations on both sides of the frontier as soon as possible.
This should include "systematic updates based on a common data base and map, and incorporating periodic reciprocal coordination visits," he said. (Reuters)
REUTERS
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