Gunmen attack NATO fuel tankers in Pakistan

"There were at least 12 men carrying arms. They first opened fire and killed three guards and then set tankers on fire," senior police officer Mirwaiz Niaz told Reuters. Thirteen tankers were burned, he said.

Pakistan will re-open a supply route for coalition troops in Afghanistan only once public anger over NATO incursions across the border from Afghanistan eases and security improves, the foreign ministry spokesman said on Sunday.

Militants on Saturday threatened more attacks on tankers to avenge the incursions, after setting fire to three dozen vehicles.

Angered by repeated incursions by NATO helicopters, Pakistan blocked a supply route for NATO troops in Afghanistan after one strike killed three Pakistani soldiers on Thursday in the northwestern Kurram region.

The NATO incursions and the closure of the supply route, now in its fifth day, have heightened tensions between the United States and Pakistan, whose long alliance is often uneasy.

Pakistan is under U.S. pressure to crack down harder on militants in the northwest of the country, parts of which are described as a global hub for militants.

The United States and Britain warned their citizens on Sunday of an increased risk of terrorist attacks in Europe, with Washington saying al Qaeda might target transport infrastructure.

The moves came after a week in which a number of European officials had broadly confirmed media reports that new intelligence indicated possible attacks on the continent.

The CIA has escalated drone strikes against al Qaeda-linked militants in Pakistan's northwest, with 21 attacks in September alone, the highest number in a single month on record.

Civilian casualties caused by the missile-carrying pilotless drones, operated by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, have infuriated many Pakistanis and made it harder for the government to cooperate with the United States. Kazinform cites China Daily. See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.