Quetta, Apr 21: Pakistani authorities have questioned at least 10 tribal leaders to try to locate the gunmen who shot at a military helicopter in a remote tribal region, injuring three Americans and four Pakistanis on board, officials said today. The attack occurred last Wednesday near Sui, some 450 kms south of Quetta, the Baluchistan provincial capital. The pilot landed the aircraft safely at Jacobabad air base, about 70 kms south of Sui. It was unclear who the Americans were and what they were doing in that region. One Pakistan government official said they were conducting a survey, but refused to give details. Several US special forces are in the tribal region working with the Pakistani military to hunt down Taliban and al-Qaeda fleeing the US-led coalition's war in neighbouring Afghanistan.
The area where the incident took place is controlled by the Bugti tribe, whose tribesmen have blown up two gas pipelines, according to the government.
Attacks on government installations by tribesmen are common in Pakistan's tribal regions, where the federal government has limited control and access. However, it was the first time that gunmen tried to shoot down a Pakistan military helicopter. Bureau Report