The U.S. soldiers, driving at least three military vehicles, entered Pakistan's Lowara Mandi town on Sunday evening, in the South Waziristan tribal region, said Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, a spokesman for the Pakistan army.

For at least 20 minutes the U.S. troops searched some shops and a gas station for suspected terrorists in the town, located about 225 miles southwest of the capital Islamabad, Sultan said.

Pakistani troops arrived and told the Americans they were in Pakistan. The Americans apologized and returned to Afghanistan, he said.

"We feel it was an inadvertent crossing. It could not be termed hot pursuit," Sultan said.

The issue is a sensitive one. President Gen. Pervez Musharraf is a staunch U.S. ally, but he has steadfastly refused to allow American soldiers to operate on his territory, fearing a backlash from religious conservatives. Pakistan has rejected American requests to gain the right of "hot pursuit" to follow terror suspects over the border while engaged in combat.

Sultan said the U.S. troops came 200-300 yards inside Pakistan, across a border dotted by rugged mountains that is not clearly marked.

North Waziristan and adjoining South Waziristan area are located along Afghanistan's southeastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Khost, where U.S. often carry out searches for Taliban and al-Qaida insurgents.

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