The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has taken responsibility for the attack on NATO supply trucks in Sindh, which claimed 5 lives on Friday. The TTP has warned that such attacks will continue till Pakistan blocks the supply line to Afghanistan for NATO trucks.
Talking to rediff.com via telephone from an undisclosed location, the outfit's spokesperson Azam Tariq said, "TTP accepts responsibility for the attack over NATO oil tankers in Shikarpur. Taliban fighters organised an attack on the enemy's vehicles and they were successful."
On Friday, nearly 12 Taliban militants blocked a road at Shikarpur Sindh and stooped the NATO tankers. After chasing away the drivers, they set nearly 35 tankers on fire. Some of the tankers were destroyed completely while the remaining were partially damaged.
Azam Tariq said, "The Taliban plans to target NATO supply trucks across the country and the frequency of such attacks will be increased in days ahead. We will never allow a supply line which is taking ammunition for NATO forces to be used against the Afghan Taliban."
Pakistan has temporarily blocked a supply route for coalition troops in Afghanistan after the repeated incursion of NATO helicopters into its tribal areas. The action was taken after three Pakistani soldiers were killed in Kurram agency in a cross border air strike by NATO last Thursday.
"The NATO incursion is a risk to Pakistan's security. The Taliban consider such attacks as an attack over the sovereignty of the country; we would never tolerate such strikes," Azam added.
Responding to a question about Pakistan blocking NATO's supply line, Azam said, "It is a temporary action. We demand permanent cut off of NATO's supply lines. The incident (air strike in Kurram) is enough for Pakistan to realise the nefarious designs of Americans on its sovereignty. If Pakistan remains passive in this matter, it will be clear that the country is being ruled by traitors."
