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NATO supplies, oil tankers, HMMWV torched in Pakistan

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Dec 7, IRNA
Pakistan-Militants
Suspected militants in Pakistan in a pre-dawn attack on Sunday torched trucks and tankers, supplying fuel and food to foreign forces in Afghanistan, and destroyed over 90 vehicles and killed a guard, officials and witnesses said.

A large number of HMMWV on trucks were also torched in the first ever biggest attack on US-led NATO supplies vehicles in the Ring Road locality in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province.

A guard was killed when he resisted the gunmen thought to be over 30, who climbed walls to enter the terminal, a guard who survived the attack told reporters.

Two other staffers were also injured.

The attackers fired rockets and started fire with automatic weapons at around 3 a.m., on two terminals called as 'Al-Faisal' and 'Port World Logistic Terminal', the guard said.

All trucks and oil tankers caught fire and fire fighters were called but most of the vehicles and supplies destroyed.

The assailants fled after the attack, which mainly targeted the High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, also called 'Humvee' -- the US military's all-purpose, modern-day jeep.

HMMWV were loaded on big trucks and were to be shifted to Afghanistan, official said.

The authorities suspended supplies to NATO forces after the attack, the second suspension in a month.

Militants regularly attack and hijack NATO supplies vehicles which are set to cross Torkham, the main crossing point on the Afghan-Pakistani border just west of the Khyber Pass.

Huge flames were seen and the explosions woke up the people in the nearby area as the officials rushed to the blast site and called fire fighters.

Fire fighters succeeded in extinguishing fire after five hours, officials said.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack. But authorities blame local Taliban for such attacks.

Pakistan and Afghan Taliban have on several occasions warned drivers not to take supplies for NATO forces.

The US-led foreign forces fighting the Taliban in land-locked Afghanistan receive many of their supplies via Pakistan, where militants have been stepping up attacks on supply lines.

Pakistan army in engaged in major offensive against the militants in the tribal areas on the Afghan border since US-backed forces toppled the Taliban in Afghanistan weeks after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Last month, Pakistan stopped container trucks and oil tankers bound for US and NATO troops in Afghanistan after militants hijacked several vehicles on the main highway between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The attacks and hijacking of vehicles highlighted the vulnerability of the mountain passage, and recent reports suggested NATO is searching for alternate supply route.

In April, NATO struck a transit agreement with Russia, but it will be implemented after Central Asian states, Russia and Afghanistan come on board.

Truckers have been demanding security as the convoys currently have little security as they travel to Afghanistan with vital food, fuel and other goods.

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