
Officials said up to 25 lorries were set on fire but there were no injuries or deaths. (AFP)
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Officials said up to 25 lorries were set on fire but there were no injuries or deaths. (AFP)
Tankers carrying supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan have been
set on fire by unidentified assailants in the Pakistani town of
Shikarpur in Sindh province, officials say.
The incident on Friday came a day after Pakistani authorities blocked a supply route for NATO troops, angered by the killing of three Pakistani soldiers in airstrikes by NATO helicopters.
"The attackers fired with small arms on tankers and fled away. No one
was hurt," an official of the paramilitary Rangers force told the
Reuters news agency.
The official, who declined to be named, said about 10 assailants attacked up to 25 to 30 tankers early in the morning.
Efforts were underway to put out the fire, a police official, Mir Hazar Chandio, said.
The
supply route remained blocked on Friday and lorry was allowed to enter
Afghanistan for the second consecutive day, an administrative official
said.
"Trucks carrying fuel and other goods for NATO are still not allowed
to enter Afghanistan," the official, speaking from Torkham, the main
crossing border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, told the AFP news
agency by telephone.
Aviation fuel
The
three Pakistani soldiers were killed on Thursday in two cross-border
strikes as NATO troops were chasing anti-government fighters in
Pakistan's northwestern Kurram region.
Hours later, Pakistani
authorities halted tankers carrying supplies for the NATO forces
passing through the Khyber tribal region on the Afghan border.
Al
Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from the the Pakistani capital,
Islamabad, said the blocked route is a "very crucial part of the supply
chain because most of the aviation fuel [for NATO aircraft] goes through
Pakistan".
"It's that aviation fuel that's used in combat missions inside Afghanistan," he said.
Our
correspondent said previous attacks on NATO convoys have taken place in
Balochestan or the province of the North-West Frontier and that
Friday's attack in the southern province of Sindh was a rare occurrence.
Pakistan
is a key ally for the United States in its efforts to stabilize
Afghanistan, but analysts say border incursions and disruptions in NATO
supplies underline growing tensions in the relationship.
The bulk of supplies for the troops in Afghanistan goes through Pakistan.
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Tankers carrying supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan have been
set on fire by unidentified assailants in the Pakistani town of
Shikarpur in Sindh province, officials say.
The incident on Friday came a day after Pakistani authorities blocked a supply route for NATO troops, angered by the killing of three Pakistani soldiers in airstrikes by NATO helicopters.
"The attackers fired with small arms on tankers and fled away. No one
was hurt," an official of the paramilitary Rangers force told the
Reuters news agency.
The official, who declined to be named, said about 10 assailants attacked up to 25 to 30 tankers early in the morning.
Efforts were underway to put out the fire, a police official, Mir Hazar Chandio, said.
The
supply route remained blocked on Friday and lorry was allowed to enter
Afghanistan for the second consecutive day, an administrative official
said.
"Trucks carrying fuel and other goods for NATO are still not allowed
to enter Afghanistan," the official, speaking from Torkham, the main
crossing border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, told the AFP news
agency by telephone.
Aviation fuel
The
three Pakistani soldiers were killed on Thursday in two cross-border
strikes as NATO troops were chasing anti-government fighters in
Pakistan's northwestern Kurram region.
Hours later, Pakistani
authorities halted tankers carrying supplies for the NATO forces
passing through the Khyber tribal region on the Afghan border.
Al
Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from the the Pakistani capital,
Islamabad, said the blocked route is a "very crucial part of the supply
chain because most of the aviation fuel [for NATO aircraft] goes through
Pakistan".
"It's that aviation fuel that's used in combat missions inside Afghanistan," he said.
Our
correspondent said previous attacks on NATO convoys have taken place in
Balochestan or the province of the North-West Frontier and that
Friday's attack in the southern province of Sindh was a rare occurrence.
Pakistan
is a key ally for the United States in its efforts to stabilize
Afghanistan, but analysts say border incursions and disruptions in NATO
supplies underline growing tensions in the relationship.
The bulk of supplies for the troops in Afghanistan goes through Pakistan.
Tankers carrying supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan have been
set on fire by unidentified assailants in the Pakistani town of
Shikarpur in Sindh province, officials say.
The incident on Friday came a day after Pakistani authorities blocked a supply route for NATO troops, angered by the killing of three Pakistani soldiers in airstrikes by NATO helicopters.
"The attackers fired with small arms on tankers and fled away. No one
was hurt," an official of the paramilitary Rangers force told the
Reuters news agency.
The official, who declined to be named, said about 10 assailants attacked up to 25 to 30 tankers early in the morning.
Efforts were underway to put out the fire, a police official, Mir Hazar Chandio, said.
The
supply route remained blocked on Friday and lorry was allowed to enter
Afghanistan for the second consecutive day, an administrative official
said.
"Trucks carrying fuel and other goods for NATO are still not allowed
to enter Afghanistan," the official, speaking from Torkham, the main
crossing border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, told the AFP news
agency by telephone.
Aviation fuel
The
three Pakistani soldiers were killed on Thursday in two cross-border
strikes as NATO troops were chasing anti-government fighters in
Pakistan's northwestern Kurram region.
Hours later, Pakistani
authorities halted tankers carrying supplies for the NATO forces
passing through the Khyber tribal region on the Afghan border.
Al
Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from the the Pakistani capital,
Islamabad, said the blocked route is a "very crucial part of the supply
chain because most of the aviation fuel [for NATO aircraft] goes through
Pakistan".
"It's that aviation fuel that's used in combat missions inside Afghanistan," he said.
Our
correspondent said previous attacks on NATO convoys have taken place in
Balochestan or the province of the North-West Frontier and that
Friday's attack in the southern province of Sindh was a rare occurrence.
Pakistan
is a key ally for the United States in its efforts to stabilize
Afghanistan, but analysts say border incursions and disruptions in NATO
supplies underline growing tensions in the relationship.
The bulk of supplies for the troops in Afghanistan goes through Pakistan.