KABUL: The US commander of Nato troops fighting the Taliban on Tuesday welcomed Pakistan's decision to reopen Nato supply lines into Afghanistan after a seven-month blockade.

General John Allen made the remarks in a statement released in Kabul that also paid tribute to the “sacrifices” made by Pakistani, as well as Afghan and Nato troops in the war.

The statement made no mention of an apology.

Pakistan closed its Afghan border crossings to Nato convoys on November 26 after botched US air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that Pakistan was re-opening the border to Nato supplies and said the United States was “sorry” for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military.

Allen, who held talks in Islamabad twice in the last six days, said the decision was “a demonstration of Pakistan's desire to help secure a brighter future for both Afghanistan and the region at large”.

“I look forward to future opportunities to work together toward our common goals, by taking coordinated action against terrorists,” he said.

Afghans and Americans blame Pakistan for not doing more to eliminate havens on its soil, which are used as launch pads for attacks across the border.

Last month, Allen blamed the Pakistan-based Haqqani network for a siege on a lakeside hotel in Kabul that killed 18 people.

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has also warned that Washington was running out of patience with Pakistan over militant havens.