ANDI KOTAL, March 9: A powerful explosion partially damaged a tanker, transporting oil to Afghanistan, near Torkhum border on Sunday, officials said.

Officials said that the tanker had just crossed the Khassadar checkpoint at Michni when an explosive device, placed in some hidden cavities of the vehicles, went off. Driver of the vehicles managed to separate the engine from the tanker. Owner of the tanker said that nearly 40,000 litres of oil were spoiled in the blast.

Local administration arrested the driver of the tanker, Raza Khan, and a security guard of the oil supplying company identified as Ghuncha Gul.

The oil supplying companies began to provide security guards to all the tankers, carrying oil to Afghanistan, in the face of such attacks in the past.

The latest blast took place after a lull in attacks against oil tankers since August last year. A renowned oil contractor Al-Haaj group of Khyber Agency had to suspend its supply to Afghanistan for the last seven months as a number of their vehicles were targeted by unidentified saboteurs.