British military advisers sent to Pakistan to help in the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaeda have been expelled from the country.
The British team, who were training Pakistan's paramilitary border forces, the 60,000-strong Frontier Corps, have been in the country since last August and it was scheduled to run until at least summer 2013.
The withdrawal of the team of 18 is understood to be a response to Pakistan's deteriorating relations with the US, after the al-Qaeda leader was shot dead by special forces last month in Abbottabad.
Since bin Laden's death, Pakistan has sent home more than two thirds of the 135 US soldiers training its paramilitary border forces.
Pakistan first ordered US troops to leave during the anti-American backlash after Raymond Davis, a CIA security contractor, shot dead two men in Lahore in January. The bin Laden raid worsened relations.
Although Britain's relationship with Pakistan is not as bad as the US's, the expulsion was seen as an indirect consequence of Islamabad wanting to display more independence.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence last night told The Daily Telegraph: "The UK has been asked to withdraw some of its training support teams on a temporary basis by the Pakistan Government in response to security concerns.
"We are providing training support at the invitation of the Pakistan Government and welcome their advice on these matters. The training teams will continue their own training and will be ready to re-deploy at the first possible opportunity."
Earlier: napaki.tumblr.com
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