Peshawar: A small bomb on Tuesday damaged a parked truck in northwestern Pakistan that was carrying oil to NATO troops in Afghanistan — the latest attack on stalled NATO supply convoys since Pakistan shut down a key border crossing last week.
The attacks have raised tensions that were already elevated by Pakistan`s decision to close the Torkham crossing in apparent reaction to a series of alleged NATO helicopter attacks on Pakistani territory, including one that killed three Pakistani soldiers.
The bomb that exploded on Tuesday was placed underneath the tanker while it was parked in a lot alongside more than 100 other trucks waiting to cross into Afghanistan, said Wajid Khan, a local administrator in the Khyber tribal region where the border crossing is located.
The attack didn`t result in any casualties, but the risk of fire was high since oil was leaking out of the damaged tanker, said Khan. Authorities moved other trucks away from the vehicle as a precaution, he said.
It was unclear who was behind the bombing, but the Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for similar attacks on NATO supply convoys, including at least two that occurred in the last week. There have been at least five attacks on the supply convoys since the Torkham closure — four of them heading to that crossing and one heading to a crossing that has remained open.
Bureau Report
