The United States on Wednesday defended a U.S. airstrike in northwest Pakistan late Tuesday that reportedly killed at least 11 Pakistani soldiers, with the Pentagon saying the U.S. action was “legitimate” and in “self-defense.” “Although it is early, every indication we have is that it was a legitimate strike in self-defense against forces that had attacked the coalition forces,” Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said, adding that it was too early to know whether the airstrike killed 11 Pakistani paramilitary forces, as alleged by the Pakistani Army. The State Department said it was “sad to see the loss of life” among allied Pakistani troops who Islamabad says were killed in a “cowardly” U.S. airstrike near the Afghan border. “This is a regrettable incident. We're sad to see the loss of life among the Pakistani military, who are our partners in fighting terror,” Gonzalo Gallegos, a spokesman, told reporters. Gallegos said U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson met with Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir to “discuss the incident,” but provided no details of the talks.
