Washington (CNN) -- Pakistan's military insists that the NATO strike last month that killed more than two dozen Pakistani soldiers near the Afghan border was deliberate. In an effort to pre-empt the results of NATO's official investigation, due out next week, the Pakistani Embassy in Washington invited reporters for a detailed briefing on the incident. Pakistani military officials at the briefing contended that NATO forces knew they were firing at Pakistani troops throughout the attack and even apologized as they kept firing, evidence they say supports their assertions the attack was deliberate. U.S. officials have said it was a regrettable case of mistaken identity and miscommunication when NATO attacked the area in support of a nearby U.S.-Afghan joint patrol that believed it was under fire from the Taliban.Pakistani military officials say NATO forces knew they were firing at Pakistani troopsU.S. has said last month's attack was a case of mistaken identity, miscommunicationMore than two dozen Pakistani soldiers killed in NATO strike near the Afghan borderStrike has exacerbated already fractious relationship between U.S. and Pakistan
U.S. military officials would not comment on the _ assertions, citing the ongoing investigation. A NATO officer at the joint coordination outpost in the area even apologized to his _ liaison in the middle of the attack for relaying the wrong location of the area NATO planes were about to fire on, preventing Pakistan from warning this was a friendly post, according to the Pakistani officials. Even after NATO officer acknowledged at about 1:15 a.m. that it was firing on the outposts and confirmed it was pulling back its helicopters, the _ maintain there was continued fire on the two posts by U.S. attack helicopters and an AC-130 gunship for about another hour until about 2:20 a.m.