Terrorists warn to blow up Thakot Bridge

By Gohar Abbas

ISLAMABAD: Terrorists have warned to blow up Thakot Bridge on Karakurm Highway (KKH), sources in the interior ministry here said. They said the ministry has written a letter to chief secretary NWFP and Northern Areas in this regard. “We have asked them  to enhance security for the bridge,” the source added.

The bridge joins Gilgit-Baltistan and NWFP with other parts of the country and in case it falls prey to terrorists, NWFP and Gilgit-Baltistan will be cut off from rest of the country as the only alternative route is the terror-inflicted Swat valley where Taliban have imposed there own Islamic laws completely challenging the writ of state.

The source, however, refused to identity the said terrorists and their apparent objectives; however involvement of Taliban cannot be ruled out as they had early attempted to Islamize the region in 1988 with aid and support of Zia regime causing massacre of local non-Suni population in Jalalabad.