Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A top U.S. diplomat apologized to Pakistan after a panel determined that better communication could have averted the deaths of two Pakistani border guards, who were victims of a coalition helicopter attack last week.
Anne W. Patterson, the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, apologized to Pakistan on behalf on the American people "for the terrible accident." She promised that the United States "will coordinate" with Pakistan to prevent such incidents.
"We extend our deepest apology to Pakistan and the families of the Frontier Scouts who were killed and injured," she said. "Pakistan's brave security forces are our allies in a war that threatens both Pakistan and the U.S.".
The incident spurred a major headache for the coalition -- Pakistan's closure of the main land route for NATO supplies heading from Pakistan to Afghanistan: the Torkham border crossing.
ISAF said two border forces were killed and four others were wounded on Thursday. Pakistani military sources initially said three died and stood by that number again on Wednesday.
The incident began when ISAF troops saw what it believed was a group of insurgents attempting to fire mortars at a coalition base in the border area of Dand Patan district, Paktiya Province, according to the September 30 news release on the incident.
CNN
