Pakistani firefighters extinguish burning NATO supply oil tankers and goods trucks at a terminal following an attack by gunmen in Quetta. (file photo)
At least nine NATO supply tankers have been torched in a militant attack in the troubled southwestern Pakistan, security sources say.
Local Pakistani police officials said the pre-dawn attack took place in the remote town of Sorab in Balochistan Province on Friday.
“The gunmen attacked the convoy at a rest stop in Soorab town of Kallat district. They fired rockets and bullets on the convoy from both sides of the road,” media outlets quoted police official Yousaf Reiki as saying.
So far one driver has been confirmed dead with officials expecting the death toll to rise.
Meanwhile, Pakistani security forces sealed off the area to launch a search operation in the volatile region.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but such incidents are mostly blamed on pro-Taliban militants.
NATO trucks carrying supplies for US-led forces in Afghanistan usually travel from the Pakistani port city of Karachi and cross into Afghanistan. They have repeatedly come under militant attacks in different parts of Pakistan over the past several years.
Pakistani security forces have launched several operations in the troubled northwestern and southwestern provinces in a bid to flush out militants from the troubled regions.
Despite the Pakistani government’s operations against Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and associated groups, they have been able to spread their influence in various regions of the country and kill thousands of people.
Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001 when Pakistan entered an alliance with the US in its so-called war against terrorism.
JR/KA
Copyright: Press TV