18 April 2005
Afghan militants blow up tankers
KANDAHAR: Taliban rebels set off a bomb next to a fuel tanker parked outside the main US military base in southern Afghanistan early yesterday, setting off a chain of large explosions that destroyed five tankers and injured three drivers, officials said.
The attack took place just after 3am, while Pakistani and Afghan drivers waiting to deliver fuel to the US base at Kandahar airport were sleeping, said Gen Muslim Ahmed, the local Afghan military commander. No American soldiers were injured.
One of the injured drivers, Sher Alam, said he was woken by the initial blast and ran for his life.
"I was sleeping at the time and suddenly I heard an explosion. When I woke up there was a huge fire engulfing the fuel tanker near mine. We all ran away and there were more explosions," said Alam, whose feet and hands were injured by flying debris.
Ahmed said American troops arrived shortly after the blasts to put out the fire. No arrests were made.
Yesterday morning black smoke still billowed from the charred hulls of the tankers.
Taliban attacks have picked up following a winter lull after the guerillas failed in their vow to disrupt October elections.
The attack on the oil tankers came a day after the Taliban triggered a remote-control explosive device that injured nine Afghan government soldiers in a passing car in Zabul province, district chief Wazir Mohammad said.
Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi confirmed the rebels were behind both attacks.
The Taliban, who US-led forces toppled in late 2001 for harbouring Al Qaeda chief, Osama bin Laden, have warned local residents against helping or working for US-led forces.
On Saturday, the top US general in the country predicted they might try to pull off a "high-visibility attack" in an effort to reverse their waning fortunes.
But Lt Gen. David Barno added that the future was against them, and predicted the insurgency would be nearly completely destroyed within 12 months.
In other violence, six Afghan soldiers were injured yesterday when a landmine went off as they travelled in central Zabul province, said local official Haji Wazir Mohammed.
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US oil tankers explode in Afghanistan
ISN SECURITY WATCH (18/04/05) - US military officials on Monday said the explosion of a convoy of five oil tankers carrying fuel for US forces in Afghanistan was an accident, contradicting previous reports that the convoy was attacked by Taliban fighters.
On Sunday, news agencies reported that suspected Taliban members attacked the oil tankers with a volley of rockets near the airport on the main highway connecting Kandahar with Chaman in southern Afghanistan.
Reports said the blast destroyed one of the trucks parked outside Kandahar airbase and caused four others to catch fire.
Three Pakistani truck drivers were injured in the incident.
Supporters of the former Taliban authorities have said they carried out the attack. But on Monday, US military officials said the attack was an accident.
US officials have recently claimed that Taliban forces were nearly destroyed.
Less than three weeks ago, a US military convoy of oil tankers was also attacked.
There has been an increase in attacks in recent weeks, particularly in the south and the east, after a lull during winter months. Last week, at least 12 suspected Taliban fighters were killed by US-led coalition forces in southeastern Afghanistan.