Pakistan lodges strong protest over NATO air space violation ****

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MIRANSHAH, May 17 (agencies): Two NATO helicopters Tuesday launched a cross-border attack on a Pakistan army checkpoint in a restive tribal region, wounding two security personnel, local security officials said. The Pakistan army Tuesday lodged a "strong protest" with NATO in Afghanistan over what it says was violation of Pakistani air space by two helicopters, a military statement said. "Pakistan army has lodged a strong protest and demanded a flag meeting," with NATO officials, the statement said. "Two NATO helicopters violated Pakistan air space today at Admi Kot Post, North Waziristan, in the early hours of the morning. "The troops at the post fired upon the helicopters and, as a result of exchange of fire, two of our soldiers received injuries." The attack took place in Wacha Bibi, 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Miranshah, on Tuesday morning with two NATO helicopters entering Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan and attacking the checkpoint, they said. "Two NATO helicopters committed the airspace violation and shelled an army checkpoint, injuring two soldiers," a senior security official told AFP. The incident came after the United States launched a raid from Afghanistan on May 2 that killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden near Islamabad, in an attack that embarrassed and angered the Pakistani military and leadership. A spokesman for the international military alliance in Afghanistan said ISAF "had reports of a possible incident. We are looking into it".