Three Taliban militants get death penalty for NATO trucks attack in Afghanistan in 2010

ISLAMABAD: Three Taliban militants have been given an eight-time death sentence by a Pakistani court for attacking trucks carrying critical supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan in 2010, officials said today.

Afraz-ur-Rehman, Ali Imran and Wajih-ur-Rehman, belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group, were found guilty by a Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorist Court yesterday.

A lawyer confirmed that the three were given eight-time death sentence by the court. The three were found guilty of carrying out the brazen late night attack in Islamabad on NATO supply convoy in 2010 in which 11 oil tankers were gutted and four persons died.

More than 25 oil tankers had stopped for refuelling on the outskirts of Islamabad when they were attacked by at least eight gunmen. The gunmen first opened fire and then set the oil tankers on fire. Soon after the attack, TTP accepted responsibility.

TTP has often targeted NATO supplies to disrupt the US-led military operation in Afghanistan. About 70 per cent of NATO supplies and 40 per cent of its fuel needs are shipped to Afghanistan via Pakistan.