December 15, 2008	Monday	Zilhaj 16, 1429

PESHAWAR, Dec 14: Paramilitary troops and police were deployed at terminals and parking areas along Ring Road here on Sunday to protect Nato and American forces’ supplies from militants, officials said.

Contractors said that supply from Karachi to Peshawar had been suspended owing to growing attacks on the terminals.

Superintendent Police Chaudhry Mohammad Ashraf told Dawn that Frontier Corps and police had been deployed at various terminals where supplies for Nato forces were stored.

The decision was taken after a meeting between officials of the law enforcement agencies and stakeholders transporting equipment, foods and fuel for foreign troops in Afghanistan. Contractors had been directed to take precautionary measures for the security of terminals, which had come under a series of attacks by the militants.

Mr Ashraf said that law enforcement agencies would patrol Ring Road and had also been deployed inside the logistic terminals to prevent more attacks.

The Ring Road linking motorway with Torkham highway is close to Bara sub-division of the volatile Khyber tribal region where various militants groups have been operating.

Militants have carried out attacks and destroyed vehicles and goods of Nato forces in these terminals. Sources said that more than 300 military vehicles, lorries and loaded containers had been destroyed in those attacks.

An employee of a shipping firm said that supplies from Karachi to Peshawar had been suspended owing to increase in attacks on the terminals. He said that supply of goods would be resumed after improvement in security.

Residents of various localities living along Ring Road have shown fear following attacks on terminals and they are pressing contractors to relocate the dumping sites from the area while truckers are now reluctant to transport Nato’s supplies.

Worker of another shipping company said that his firm had vacated a terminal after receiving notice from the land owner.

TALIBAN’S THREAT: Our correspondent from Khar adds that proscribed Tehriki-i-Taliban Pakistan has vowed to increase attacks on Nato supplies in Peshawar and tribal areas. Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar told journalists by phone from an undisclosed location on Sunday, that attacks on Nato containers and terminals would be intensified in Peshawar and Khyber tribal region until foreign forces stopped air and ground strikes in Afghanistan and Fata.

The spokesman claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Nato forces supplies in Peshawar and Khyber region.

“Taliban have decided to intensify attacks on the supplies meant for Nato forces.

These attacks will continue unless foreign forces ensure in written that they will not carry out attacks inside Pakistan,” he said.

He said that Taliban had planned to cut off supplies to Nato forces in Afghanistan and target those goods everywhere in Pakistan.

He said that Taliban had been monitoring movement of trucks transporting goods for forces in Afghanistan across the country and they would be attacked any time.