Pakistan has protested ‘in the strongest terms’ amid claims that NATO killed at least 26 of the country’s soldiers today in a cross-border helicopter raid.

NATO aircraft are accused of intruding from

Afghanistan to strike a Pakistani military checkpoint in the Mohmand tribal region.

Pakistan retaliated by shutting down vital NATO supply routes into Afghanistan.

A NATO spokesman there confirmed the alliance’s aircraft were called in to support troops during an incident near the border.

He said NATO forces were “highly likely” to be responsible for the deaths of Pakistani soldiers.