The blast was apparently supposed to target foreign troops at the airport, where thousands of US and NATO soldiers are based. However, officials said that all six confirmed fatalities were civilians.
"Inadequate coordination by US and Pakistani military officers operating through the border coordination center resulted in a misunderstanding about the true location of Pakistani military units," according to the Department of Defense.
The Pakistani government had given the US until December 11 to leave the site, which is said to be where the CIA launches its drone attacks on the tribal belt between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistan will boycott an international conference on Afghanistan next week, according to officials, as a protest against a NATO air strike last weekend in which 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed.
News DeskNovember 26, 2011 08:40Updated November 26, 2011 15:59
Pakistani officials demanded on Saturday that the US vacate an air base suspected of using unmanned droned within 15 days in response to an alleged NATO attack.
NATO's decision comes a day after the United Nations voted to end its authoriziation for a military operation in Libya and lift the no-fly zone over the country.
The Pentagon is facing $450 billion in cuts over the next 10 years, and could face even further cuts that would be "devastating" to security in the U.S. and abroad.
Follow us: