Afghanistan: early repatriation of U.S. equipment by Pakistan

The U.S. military began this weekend via Pakistan to repatriate the equipment used in Afghanistan to end the combat mission of NATO troops, it was learned Monday from the coalition.

Two convoys of 25 containers crossed the Pakistan border in Chaman and Torkham items Sunday, said Monday at the AFP Colonel Carroll. "The passage of these convoys shipment marks the first American Afghanistan (pass) by Pakistan since July 2012."

"It was a trial balloon. Were testing We use this road. U.S. and ISAF (NATO force) will carry huge amounts of equipment out of Afghanistan. We need to use it all possible paths, "he said.

The trains are routed to the port of Karachi, the largest city in southern Pakistan, where boats will transport the equipment to the United States. The northern route, through Central Asia, and air are the only two alternatives.

Pakistan had temporarily banned the NATO convoys from crossing its border from Afghanistan after the gunmen had attacked his truck on July 24, killing a driver in Jamrud, in the outskirts of Peshawar (northwest).

Some 100,000 soldiers of the ISAF, including 68,000 Americans are still deployed in Afghanistan, where coalition still has 200 bases, according to The Carroll. The end of the withdrawal of the majority of these troops is scheduled for late 2014.