World | Afghanistan
Supply route for Nato troops reopened
Hundreds of trailers and containers had been hijacked by Taliban in Afghanistan border areas
- By Fasihur Rehman Khan, Correspondent
- Published: 23:59 November 17, 2008
- Image Credit: AP
- Pakistan paramilitary troops accompany trucks carrying supplies for Nato and US forces to Afghanistan.
Islamabad: Supplies for US and Nato troops based in Afghanistan resumed via the Khyber Pass route after fresh security arrangements were put in place by Pakistani authorities.
Container trucks and oil tankers left for Afghanistan Monday morning as the Peshawar-Torkham road was reopened.
Hundreds of trailers and containers had been stranded in Peshawar, Jamrud and Landikotal areas bordering Afghanistan, since November 12 after Taliban hijacked more than a dozen trucks carrying Nato supplies from the main road which passes through the Khyber Pass and enters Afghanistan.
"The vehicles started moving again on Monday under new-armed escorts. The convoys are carrying food, fuel and other goods, including military vehicles for the United States and Nato troops stationed in Afghanistan," officials said.
The Pakistan government had suspended supplies to allied forces in Afghanistan through its Torkhum border area due to security concerns.
The decision was made in the wake of an incident in Jamrud Tehsil of Khyber Agency when several trailers and jeeps dispatched for allied troops in Afghanistan were snatched by militants and later on, images of local Taliban riding these vehicles were splashed in media.
Landlocked
Around 75 per cent of supplies for allied troops go through Pakistan to the landlocked Afghanistan. Though Torkham route is not the only land route for supplies to allied troops enroute Pakistan, it is a convenient and cost effective one, officials said.
Nato has around 43,000 troops stationed in Afghanistan including more than 25,000 US troops. But since rise of activities by local Taliban in the Pakistani tribal belt, incidents of setting ablaze of Afghanistan bound fuel tankers for allied troops, snatching of trailors and killing the drivers of these vehicles is on the rise.
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