Reopening supplies: NATO container attacked in Khyber

One killed, another injured as suspected militants open fire.

LANDI KOTAL: A Nato truck driver was killed while another was injured when suspected militants opened fire at their vehicles in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency.

It was the first such attack on Torkham highway after the resumption of supplies. A senior political administration official of tehsil Jamrud Asmatullah Wazir told The Express Tribune that around 11:30am three containers loaded with Nato supplies were passing through TD Bazaar when unidentified militants opened indiscriminate fire and injured two drivers.

“Both men were rushed to a hospital in Jamrud where one of the drivers, Atta Muhammad, died,” he said.

The other man Shahid was later shifted to the Hayatabad Medical Complex.

Both the drivers belonged to Sheen Khal area of Afghanistan.

Soon after the incident, paramilitary forces cordoned off the area and started a search operation. However, no one was arrested.

Responsibility claim

Two banned groups claimed responsibility for the attack and warned that more attacks will be carried out on the vehicles in the future.

Talking to journalists from undisclosed locations, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson Ihsanullah Ihsan and Abdullah Azzam Brigade spokesperson Abu Zarar claimed the attack.

The decision of reopening Nato supply routes was vociferously opposed by various political and religious parties as well as banned organisations.

The Ministry of Interior swung into action and assigned duties to police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies at various points to ensure safe transport of Nato goods from Karachi to the Pak-Afghan border.

The plan had been prepared in view of continuous threats by militant groups such as TTP, as well as intelligence agencies’ reports, which revealed that there was a threat to Nato convoys.