Second supply attack in Peshawar

Suspected militants in the Pakistani city of Peshawar have attacked another terminal holding Nato-bound equipment, the second such attack in two days.

The attackers struck the terminal on the outskirts of the city, torching up to 50 vehicles.

On Sunday a guard was killed and more than 90 lorries were set on fire when 300 gunmen attacked the first terminal.

The earlier attack on Sunday destroyed more than 90 lorries

The road from Peshawar to Afghanistan is a major supply route for US and Western forces battling the Taleban.

Lightly armed

Monday's attack took place just 2km from the scene of the first raid in the early hours of Sunday.

A security guard, Mohammad Zaman, told Reuters news agency that Monday's attackers "came just past midnight, firing in the air, sprinkled petrol on containers and then set them on fire".

"They told us they would not harm us, but they asked us not to work for the Americans," he said.

Terminals in Peshawar have only lightly armed guards who are deployed to tackle theft rather than insurgent raids.

But raids on terminals supplying US and Nato forces in Afghanistan are increasing.

The US played down Sunday's attack, saying the incident was "militarily insignificant".

But the BBC's Martin Patience in Kabul says that with 300 lorries crossing the border each day, military officials will be deeply concerned that their supply line can be disrupted in this manner.

Witnesses said Sunday's attackers destroyed 96 flat trucks and six containers.

The manager of the depot, Kifyatullah Khan, told Associated Press: "They were shouting Allahu Akbar (God is Great) and Down With America."

Security along the road leading to the border has deteriorated this year with soldiers recently carrying out an offensive in the Khyber region to drive militants away from the outskirts of Peshawar, the main city in the north-west.