Islamabad, Apr 2: In a bid to launch a successful spring offensive
against the NATO forces in Afghanistan, the Taliban are eyeing to
disrupt supplies of coalition forces via Khyber Agency, say diplomatic
sources in Pakistan.

Khyber Agency is the main supply line for US troops and other forces in
the anti-terror coalition operating inside Afghanistan. Taliban is
learnt to have planned to cause disruption to the area, which they
believe would be of great help to them in their spring offensive
against the foreign troops, The Nation quoted diplomatic sources as
saying citing intelligence sources.

They said that the importance of Khyber Agency could be gauged well
from the fact that around 80 per cent of NATO supplies run through it
up to the Afghanistan’s province of Nangarhar and from there to Kabul.

Some major subversive acts had already taken place in Khyber Agency
such as blowing up nearly 40 oil tankers that were being used to supply
fuel to the coalition forces in Afghanistan, said a source.

He said it was the importance of Khyber Agency that forced the US
officials, John Negroponte and Richard Boucher to rush to the tribal
region located near Peshawar during their recent visit to Pakistan to
hold talks with tribal elders in a bid to win their support for US-led
war on terror.

An official here when contacted admitted that the threats of acts of
sabotage in Khyber Agency were not misplaced. However, he hastened to
add that the new approach of Pakistan’s government to tackle the threat
of terror through dialogue could lead to a change of mind in the
Taliban leadership as for targeting the Khyber Agency. (ANI)