QUETTA, Jan 15: Eighteen oil tankers carrying fuel for Nato forces in Afghanistan were set on fire near Dera Murad Jamali town of Nasirabad district on Saturday.

The tankers, parked at a roadside petrol pump-cum-restaurant for night stay in Kot Mengal area, were scheduled to leave for the border town of Chaman in the morning.

According to police sources, twelve people came on motorbikes in the early hours and opened fire on the oil tankers.

The tankers caught fire and were completely gutted because there were no fire-fighting arrangements.

The assailants escaped after torching the tankers.

One driver, identified as Tahir, was injured in the attack.

Other drivers and conductors sleeping in the tankers saved their lives by jumping from the vehicles.

The restaurant and its adjoining shops were also gutted in the fire.

Levies Force and police personnel launched a search operation in the area and raided several places. Some suspects were taken into custody for questioning, the sources added.

Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq in a phone call to AFP claimed responsibility for the attack.

“It is in retaliation for drone attacks in tribal areas,” Tariq said from an undisclosed location in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.

“We will continue to attack Nato supply vehicles and warn those operating them to immediately stop doing it otherwise they may also be targeted,” he said.