PESHAWAR—At least 26 NATO oil tankers were torched when militants opened fire on a convoy of dozens of vehicles parked in Nowshera in northwestern Pakistan, senior police officials said Wednesday.
The attack was the second of the day after militants opened fire on a terminal on the outskirts of the southwestern city of Quetta earlier, killing a staff member and destroying at least 18 vehicles.
The Nowshera attack was the fifth of its kind in a week, and both were claimed by the Pakistani Taliban "to avenge US drone attacks" in the northwestern tribal region on the Afghan border.
There were more than 70 vehicles including oil tankers and containers at the depot in Nowshera, and so far 26 tankers have been gutted, local police chief Nisar Ahmed Tanoli told AFP.
"Militants opened fire and also lobbed rockets which triggered fire," he said. "We have summoned fire brigades and efforts are underway to extinguish the fire."
There was no immediate report of casualties, he said.
Siraj Ahmed, a doctor at a state-run hospital near the depot, said he heard gunfire and several explosions.
"I went out and saw fire is raging at two places in a long row of NATO supply vehicles parked in the area. Firing was also heard," he said.
Another police official Imtiaz Ali said more than 25 tankers were destroyed.
"We are trying to remove other tankers to prevent fire from spreading further," he said.
Local Taliban militants have launched five attacks on NATO supply vehicles in Pakistan in the past week to avenge the new wave of US drone strikes targeting Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.
Pakistani authorities have reported 25 drone attacks since September 3 which have killed more than 140 people in the region, a hub for homegrown and foreign militants fighting in Afghanistan.
Coppied by http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20101007-296449/26-NATO-tankers-torched-in-new-attack-in-Pakistan
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