Western Command The border skirmishes between the United States and Pakistan were the military engagements and confrontations between Pakistan and the United States that took place along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border from late 2008 to late 2012 resulting in the deaths of 55 Pakistani personnel with a unknown number of U.S. casualties.

The two sides ultimately made peace and continued collaboration operations against insurgent groups in Pakistan following an official, but brief, apology from then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on 3 July 2012 over the loss of life suffered by the Pakistani military.

Since the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism in late 2001 and the subsequent U.S. invasion of Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and al-Qaeda movement, the U.S. has launched several air strikes across into northwest Pakistan to target militants connected with the Afghanistan war who it alleges have fled the country and sought temporary shelter in Pakistan's bordering tribal areas.

These strikes have been protested against by Pakistan, as a violation of national sovereignty, and have resulted in tense diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Since June 2004,[1] the United States military has launched dozens of unmanned aerial vehicle strikes against presumed Taliban targets, killing hundreds[1] of militants and civilians, increasing in intensity post-2009.

It occurred on the Afghan side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border close to Angoor Ada, some 30 kilometers from Wana, the main town in South Waziristan in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan.

As they did so, Pakistani paramilitary soldiers at a checkpoint began firing shots and the US troops decided not to continue forward.

Local tribesmen also evacuated their homes and took up defensive positions in the mountains after placing women and children out of harm's way.

American and NATO officials asserted that the helicopters were flying within Afghan territory to protect an armed patrol.

U.S. helicopters entered Pakistani airspace after ground troops determined that a mortar attack by militants in Pakistan was imminent, according to the Coalition.