US generals hold talks with COAS

ISLAMABAD: Visiting US generals Wednesday held the first talks in months with Pakistan's top military leaders in a further sign that the troubled alliance between the two countries is getting back on track.

The visit by General James Mattis, the head of US Central Command, and General John Allen, the US commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan, is the first since US air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last November.

"The two US generals separately met army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Khalid Shameem Wynne," in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, a senior Pakistani security official said.

He said "Pakistani army chief and US generals talked in detail about their respective positions on the air strikes last November and subsequent developments and discussed ways to improve border coordination procedures."

The official said that the inquiry conducted into the incident also came under discussion, but did not give further details.

The two generals "discussed matters of bilateral and professional interests and the emerging geo-strategic situation", during their meeting with General Wynne, the military said in a statement.