Militants blow up lorries taking fuel to troops in Afghanistan

SUSPECTED militants in Pakistan have attacked oil tankers supplying fuel to foreign forces in Afghanistan, destroying 36 lorries and wounding up to 70 people.

The attack took place last night in Torkham, the main crossing point on the Afghan-Pakistani border just west of the Khyber Pass, where about 100 oil tankers were parked in a field.

"We have reports of 60 to 70 injured but none in critical condition," said a senior official in Jamrud, the main town in the Khyber tribal region.

The militants set off two bombs that started a fire and many people who had gathered in the field were hurt when some of the tankers exploded.

"There were huge flames. People began running when the fire spread," said witness Waheed Afridi.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, the second on oil tankers bound for Afghanistan in two weeks, but the official blamed militants.

Foreign forces fighting the Taliban in land-locked Afghanistan get many of their supplies via Pakistan, where militants have been stepping up attacks on supply lines.

Pakistan has been battling militancy in its lawless tribal lands on the Afghan border since US-backed forces toppled the Taliban.