“Islamabad, a virtual fortress city.” “Militants Torch NATO Trucks in Pakistan,” by Adnan R. Khan for AOL News, June 9 (thanks to Twostellas):
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (June 9) — Gunmen torched more than 20 NATO tractor-trailers ferrying fuel and supplies into Afghanistan, killing at least seven people and leaving the charred convoy in shambles just six miles outside Pakistan’s capital.
Capital city police said as many as 12 militants attacked the fleet while it was parked at a rest stop in Tarnol, using small arms and grenades to set ablaze oil tankers and military vehicles that were on their way to the Afghan border east of Peshawar. All of the attackers escaped.
Media reports differed on the number of NATO trucks involved, with Xinhua and Al-Jazeera saying more than 50 were destroyed. The Associated Press is reporting that in addition to fuel and other supplies, some of the trucks hauled trailers carrying military Humvees to troops in Afghanistan. The AP, citing police official Shah Nawaz, said the seven people killed were believed to be Pakistanis employed as drivers or assistants.
The Punjabi Taliban has taken responsibility for the attack, adding to fears among Pakistani officials that Punjab province, considered Pakistan’s commercial and intellectual heartland, is increasingly vulnerable to militants. Islamabad, a virtual fortress city, has remained relatively peaceful in recent months, but the brazen midnight assault is a stark reminder that groups opposed to the war in Afghanistan can strike even minutes outside the safe zone….