Truck ban blocks key U.S. supply line into Afghanistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Container trucks and oil tankers bound for U.S and NATO troops in Afghanistan were forced off the road on Sunday after militant attacks prompted Pakistan to block a major supply line, highlighting the vulnerability of the mountain passage.

The suspension in northwest Pakistan was confirmed on Sunday and was intended to allow for a review of security in the famed Khyber Pass. The convoys currently have little to no security detail as they travel to Afghanistan with vital food, fuel and other goods.

The ban on container trucks and tankers could be lifted as early as today with new procedures in place, a government leader said.

Al-Qaida and Taliban fighters are behind much of the escalating violence along the lengthy, porous Afghan-Pakistan border. Both Afghanistan and Pakistan have accused each other of not doing enough to stop militant activity, while U.S. missile strikes in Pakistani territory have ratcheted up tensions further.

Last Monday, dozens of suspected Taliban militants hijacked several trucks near the Khyber Pass whose load included Humvees heading to the U.S.-led coalition. Over the weekend, U.S.-led coalition troops reported killing 38 insurgents in fighting in southern Afghanistan and detaining two militant leaders near Pakistan’s lawless border.