Khyber Agency ambushed: Four die in attack on Nato containers

Three containers transporting military vehicles were attacked in Jamrud.

JAMRUD:

Four men, including three drivers, who were ferrying supplies for the Nato troops in Afghanistan, were gunned down on Monday in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency. A convoy of containers, transporting military vehicles to the Nato troops, was attacked in the Shagai area of Jamrud.

Assistant Political Agent Jehangir Azam Wazir told The Express Tribune that the attack took place around 10am. He said militants opened fire at three containers and trapped and killed their drivers. The militants later sprinkled petrol on them and fired rockets which resulted in a blazing fire, Wazir added.

Political administration official Asmatullah Wazir said that after the incident he rushed to the spot along with Khasadars, who had surrounded the area and were trying to remove the burning vehicles from the road to open the blocked traffic. He said that the attackers destroyed three containers:  JUI-209, TLN 708 and TLH-734 loaded with military vehicles.



He said that initially they were informed that six people were killed in the attack; however the driver and cleaner of the last vehicle survived as they left their vehicle when the attack started, fled from the scene and later reached the political administration offices safe and sound.

The official added that the charred bodies of four persons —  identified as Irfan, Tikka Khan, Wajid Khan and Yar Alam — were shifted to the Jamrud Civil Hospital.

After the incident, Khasadar officials launched a search operation; however, no one arrest was made till late in the night.

Talking to reporters from an undisclosed location, a man, identifying himself as Abu Hamza and citing his association with a hitherto unknown militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2013.