Pakistan temporarily suspends NATO supply route over security

Step taken in light of possible attacks on the supply trucks this week.

PESHAWAR: Pakistan has temporarily stopped Nato supply trucks crossing its northwestern border into Afghanistan over security concerns due to fears of attacks, officials said Thursday.

Gunmen on Tuesday attacked a convoy of Nato supply trucks, killing a driver, in the town of Jamrud.

"Movement of Nato vehicles has been temporarily suspended since Wednesday evening to beef up security," a paramilitary official told AFP.

"We have launched a search operation in the hills surrounding Jamrud," the official added.

Local administration official Bakhtiar Khan confirmed the supply route had been suspended due to "security reasons".

"Intelligence officials have informed the authority that attacks may occur on Nato vehicles this week and in the light of this a security plan is being chalked out," Khan told AFP.

He said the Nato route would "resume very soon", but that until then trucks carrying supplies for the 130,000-strong US-led mission in Afghanistan had been told not to approach the border.