A day after the United States sought to smooth a row with Pakistan over the killing of Qaeda Chief NATO helicopters wounded two Pakistani Soldiers Tuesday in a cross-border attack.

A day after the United States sought to smooth a row with Pakistan over the killing of Qaeda Chief; NATO helicopters wounded two Pakistani Soldiers Tuesday in a cross-border attack.

"Two NATO helicopters committed the airspace violation and shelled an army checkpoint, injuring two soldiers," a senior local security official told AFP news agency.

A western military official in Kabul said the two choppers, with the NATO force in Afghanistan, opened fire on an army checkpoint in a restive tribal region in Pakistan's northwest after they were shot at.
The attack took place in Wacha Bibi, 50 kilometers west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district, local security officials said.


The western  official, who requested not to be named, told AFP that the two helicopters were in Afghanistan "in support of a forward operating base which was receiving fire from across the border of Pakistan".

"Upon arrival at the scene, one of the helicopters received fire from across the border but didn't immediately return fire. Upon receiving fire a second time, the helicopter returned fire," he added.
"Later, ISAF (the US-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan) was notified (by Pakistani authorities) that two soldiers have been wounded," he said.


The incident comes 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.

It also comes just a day after US Senator John Kerry tried to repair relations with close ally Pakistan over bin Laden.