Breaking News Islamabad: Pakistani government officials say senior authorities have ordered them to block oil tankers and trucks carrying NATO supplies at a checkpoint bordering Afghanistan.
The two officials say they were not told the reason for the order at the Torkham border post. However, it comes after threats by Pakistani officials to stop providing protection to NATO convoys if the military alliance's choppers hit Pakistani targets again.
Earlier Thursday, Pakistani officials alleged a NATO airstrike hit a border post, killing three Pakistani troops.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information to the media.
A NATO official in Afghanistan confirmed there was an attack in the border area close to the Upper Orakzai region on Thursday, but gave no further details saying the incident was being investigated. He and the Pakistani security officers declined to give their names, citing the sensitivity of the incident.
The attack was bound to worsen ties between Pakistan and NATO-led forces in Afghanistan at a crucial time in the 9-year war. The supply routes from Pakistan are vital for U.S. and NATO forces operating in Afghanistan, and convoys are often attacked by militants as the cross the border.
If Pakistani border guards were to halt the flow of supplies into Pakistan, it would represent a massive logistical challenge for U.S. and NATO commanders, and an equally large diplomatic challenge for Western leaders dealing with an increasingly frustrated Pakistani government.
Senior members of al Qaeda, the Taliban and other Islamic radical groups are believed to be hiding along the two countries' porous border, and the U.S. campaign of drone missile strikes on militant targets on the Pakistani side has ramped up dramatically in recent months.
The two officials say they were not told the reason for the order at the Torkham border post. However, it comes after threats by Pakistani officials to stop providing protection to NATO convoys if the military alliance's choppers hit Pakistani targets again.
Earlier Thursday, Pakistani officials alleged a NATO airstrike hit a border post, killing three Pakistani troops.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information to the media.
A NATO official in Afghanistan confirmed there was an attack in the border area close to the Upper Orakzai region on Thursday, but gave no further details saying the incident was being investigated. He and the Pakistani security officers declined to give their names, citing the sensitivity of the incident.
The attack was bound to worsen ties between Pakistan and NATO-led forces in Afghanistan at a crucial time in the 9-year war. The supply routes from Pakistan are vital for U.S. and NATO forces operating in Afghanistan, and convoys are often attacked by militants as the cross the border.
If Pakistani border guards were to halt the flow of supplies into Pakistan, it would represent a massive logistical challenge for U.S. and NATO commanders, and an equally large diplomatic challenge for Western leaders dealing with an increasingly frustrated Pakistani government.
Senior members of al Qaeda, the Taliban and other Islamic radical groups are believed to be hiding along the two countries' porous border, and the U.S. campaign of drone missile strikes on militant targets on the Pakistani side has ramped up dramatically in recent months.
