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A United States drone attacked suspected militants inside Pakistan yesterday, only hours after the US military chief assured Pakistani leaders the country's sovereignty would be respected.
In an effort to calm growing tensions between Washington and Islamabad, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, made a surprise visit to the Pakistani capital after it emerged that President George W. Bush had authorised US forces to attack Taleban militants in areas on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The two allies have been locked in a game of brinkmanship since US special operations troops mounted the first known ground assault in Pakistan, allegedly killing up to 20 people in a village in South Waziristan. Afterwards Pakistan's Army vowed to retaliate and defend itself "at all costs".
Admiral Mullen met Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and the Pakistani Army chief General Ashaf Kayani. The US Embassy said: "Admiral Mullen reiterated the US commitment to respect Pakistan's sovereignty and to develop further ... co-operation."
But within hours a pilotless drone fired four missiles into South Waziristan, killing five militants, according to intelligence officials.
"The [Mullen] visit was nice and he was very understanding," said Ahmad Mukthar, the Defence Minister. "Now these airstrikes have come as a surprise."
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