NATO Bombs Hijacked Fuel Tanker 90 Reported Dead So Far

The ISAF in Afghanistan has bombed an oil tanker hijacked by the Taliban. ISAF said two fuel trucks were stolen about 10pm last night (local time) and were spotted several hours later on the banks of the Kunduz river. The bombing took place around 2:30 am.

“Last night, the Taliban tried to take a fuel tanker that they hijacked on the highway to Angorbagh village,” said Baryalai Basharyar Parwani, the police chief of the Ali Abad district in Kunduz province.

“The fuel tanker got stuck in the river. There were local civilians with them as well. The Taliban were bombed... more than 60 people have been killed and injured.”

Civilian deaths are still being investigated, with some reporting that 40 out of the 90 dead could be civilians. And many survivors are being treated for severe burns.

Hundreds of people from nearby villages had gathered around the fuel truck in hopes of getting free fuel.

The Australian a news website had this to report:

Mohammad Daud, 32, said at the hospital that Taliban insurgents hijacked two fuel tankers on the highway destined for foreign troops and were trying to transport them across a river when one of them got stuck.

“So they (the Taliban) told villagers to come and take the diesel. Villagers rushed to the fuel tanker with any available container that they had, including water buckets and pots for cooking oil,” said Daud.

“There were 10 to 15 Taliban on top of the tanker. This was when they were bombed. Everyone around the fuel tanker died.”