WASHINGTON:
Washington has approved $125 million worth of support for Pakistan's F-16
warplanes, and also $670 worth of support for India's C-17 transport planes.
Approval to support US-built aircraft for the two south Asian rivals were
approved by the US State Department, and announced simultaneously by the US
Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The approval for technical and logistics
support for Pakistan's F-16s comes just days after Prime Minister Imran Khan
met with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

The potential sale will support US foreign policy and national security
"by protecting US technology through the continued presence of US
personnel that provide 24/7 end-use monitoring," the statement announcing
the Pakistan approval read. Separately, the DSCA said that India asked to buy
spare parts and test equipment for their Boeing C-17 transport planes, and is seeking
personnel training, among other things, "for an estimated cost of $670
million."

"India needs this follow-on support to maintain its operational readiness
and ability to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR)
assistance in the region. "India will have no difficulty absorbing this
support into its armed forces," the statement announcing the approval
read. Both statements added that the proposed sales of equipment and support
"will not alter the basic military balance in the region."

Ten soldiers killed

In another development, ten Pakistani soldiers were killed by militants
yesterday in two separate incidents in the country's northwestern and
southwestern provinces, the military said. Six soldiers patrolling near the
Afghan border were killed in North Waziristan district when militants opened
fire from the Afghan side, according to the military.

Separately, the army said four paramilitary troops were killed in the
southwestern province of Balochistan during an operation against militants.
Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his condolences to the families of those
killed, and tweeted: "I salute our armed forces personnel who continue to
lay down their lives fighting terrorists to keep the nation safe."

North Waziristan - once a focal point in the global war on terror - held
provincial elections for the first time earlier this month, a key step in
bringing the northwestern region into the political mainstream after years of
turmoil fuelled by militancy. Washington has long insisted the area provides
safe havens to militants - including the Taleban and Al-Qaeda - an allegation
Islamabad denies. Security has improved in recent years, but lower-level
attacks still occur and the area remains notorious for the availability of
cheap guns, drugs, and smuggled goods.- Agencies