Saturday, October 9, 2010

30 NATO tankers torched in Pakistan


Unidentified gunmen in southwestern Pakistan have attacked 30 NATO tankers carrying fuel for US-led foreign troops in Afghanistan.

Gunmen set fire to more than two dozen tankers on Saturday, Reuters quoted an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as saying.

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants have stepped up attacks on convoys carrying supplies for US-led forces since an unauthorized US drone attack on September 30 in northwestern Pakistan left three Pakistani soldiers dead.

Meanwhile, Pakistan blocked the main NATO supply route to Afghanistan for the tenth successive day on Saturday.

Pakistani officials have said the key border post will stay closed for the time being in retaliation for the non-UN-sanctioned US drone attack at an outpost near the Afghan border, despite a formal apology by the US ambassador to Islamabad, Anne Patterson, for the numerous incursions and violations.

Hundreds of NATO vehicles, including tankers and container trucks, are currently parked in various parts of northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border.

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