Taliban attack NATO supplies in Afghan east, destroy dozens of trucks
Four Taliban militants struck a NATO post in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar on Thursday, destroying dozens of trucks and sparking a gun battle with polices, Afghan officials said.
|Last Updated: Jun 19, 2014, 01:23 PM IST|Source: Reuters
KABUL: Four Taliban militants struck a NATO post in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar on Thursday, destroying dozens of trucks and sparking a gun battle with polices, Afghan officials said.
The attack took place in the parking compound of a NATO base near the Torkham crossing on the Pakistani border, near the Khyber Pass and a main supply route for NATO-led forces in land-locked Afghanistan.
Militants on both sides of the border have for years been attacking supplies bound for NATO-led forces in Afghanistan.
Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said one attacker blew himself up while police killed the other three.
He said 37 trucks containing fuel and other supplies were destroyed in explosions set off by the attackers.
One Afghan driver was injured, a witness told Reuters.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed that the militants, fighting to expel foreign forces and bring down the U.S.-backed Kabul government, were behind the attack.
Afghanistan`s Taliban have sustained a high level of violence even though most foreign troops are due to pull out of the country this year leaving Afghan security forces to face the insurgents on their own.
Taliban fighters killed scores of people in attacks on Saturday on a second-round, run-off presidential election.
Afghanistan`s allies hope the election can usher in a strong, stable government but accusations of cheating have raised fears of a deadlock between the two rival candidates, both of whom support a security pact with the United States.
The Taliban dismissed the vote as a U.S. ploy.
Most NATO cargo shipments go through the Torkham crossing, toward Pakistan`s port city of Karachi.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.