but they did not. GHQ in return gave permission to the personnel on the outposts to retaliate. NATO communicated at roughly 1:15 AM that they had realised that they were attacking Pakistan Army and that their forces had been ordered to stop. Yet NATO's aerial bombardment continued with another salvo aiming at the Pakistani rescue force that rushed to the aid of the two posts. Pakistan termed the event an "unprovoked and indiscriminate firing", an "irresponsible act", and a "stark violation" of its sovereignty. The attack was the deadliest NATO strike on Pakistani soil since the start of the war in Afghanistan. In a media conference with the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Ashfaq, Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Waheed Arshad, claimed that this was not an "unintended" incident. On accounts of series of events he commented that NATO was informed at the time of attack but their helicopters remained on course of aggression. Pakistani military also said that the NATO forces returned a second time to attack the post again. When he was asked whether Pakistan was satisfied with the investigating team headed under US Air force Brigadier General Stephon, he responded sharply by commenting that all incidents in past in relation to violation of Pakistan's sovereignty did not come to an agreeable conclusion. Pakistan was invited to jointly investigate the incident, but Pakistan refused to participate. On 9 December, Major General Ashfaq claimed that NATO had been monitoring radio transmissions that night and knew they had hit Volcano post. The Pakistani military called the strike "unprovoked and indiscriminate." Government of Pakistan launched a strong protest with U.S and also immediately discontinued the supply to NATO troops located in Afghanistan. Notably, the strike on Saturday came one day after Gen. John Allen, the commander of the US-led coalition in Afghanistan, visited Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. In that meeting, both the commanders discussed border co-ordination and other measures "aimed at enhancing border control on both sides." Repercussions of the incident Closure of NATO supply lines Pakistan immediately closed all NATO supplies to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the attack, leaving the blockaded supply trucks vulnerable to attacks. NATO trucks had been using the supply routes, in Khyber Agency (through the Khyber Pass at Torkham) and Balochistan (near Chaman), to supply US and international forces fighting in Afghanistan. US policy makers tried to find