Kohat Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Kohat Tunnel is a 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) long road
tunnel
located in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
. Constructed with Japan
ese assistance, it is also known as the Pak-Japan Friendship Tunnel.
Construction on the tunnel began in 1999, and opened to traffic in June 2003. As part of the developing Indus Highway
system, the tunnel serves as a shorter, alternate route to the Kohat Pass
, situated between the cities of Peshawar
and Kohat
. The new route decreases the time required to travel through the Kotal Pass by about 20 minutes. The main advantage of the tunnel is that long bodied vehicles can now use the Indus Highway whereas previously the hairpin bends on the Kotal Pass made it impossible for such vehicles to travel. It also helps alleviate traffic congestion, improve traffic safety and promote economic development.
The tunnel was at the centre of a military confrontation between the Pakistan Army
and pro-Taliban militants in early 2008. The militants had taken control of the tunnel around 24 January, after hijacking trucks carrying supplies and ammunition for security forces in South Waziristan
. On 27 January, Pakistan Army brought the tunnel back under control of the security forces, after "fierce fighting" involving artillery
, helicopter gunships and heavy machine guns during which 24 militants were reported to have been killed.
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
located in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Constructed with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese assistance, it is also known as the Pak-Japan Friendship Tunnel.
Construction on the tunnel began in 1999, and opened to traffic in June 2003. As part of the developing Indus Highway
Indus Highway
The Indus Highway, also known by its technical designation N-55, is a 1,264 km long four-lane highway that runs along the Indus River in Pakistan connecting the port city of Karachi with the northwestern city of Peshawar...
system, the tunnel serves as a shorter, alternate route to the Kohat Pass
Kohat Pass
Kohat Pass is a mountain pass in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, connecting Kohat with Peshawar, crossing the Khigana Mountains.As the road to the pass is steep and too narrow for large vehicles, the Kohat Tunnel was constructed and opened in June, 2003. -External links:*...
, situated between the cities of Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
and Kohat
Kohat
Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35'13N 71°26'29E with an altitude of 489 metres and is the capital of Kohat District. The town centres around a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. A British-built narrow gauge...
. The new route decreases the time required to travel through the Kotal Pass by about 20 minutes. The main advantage of the tunnel is that long bodied vehicles can now use the Indus Highway whereas previously the hairpin bends on the Kotal Pass made it impossible for such vehicles to travel. It also helps alleviate traffic congestion, improve traffic safety and promote economic development.
The tunnel was at the centre of a military confrontation between the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
and pro-Taliban militants in early 2008. The militants had taken control of the tunnel around 24 January, after hijacking trucks carrying supplies and ammunition for security forces in South Waziristan
South Waziristan
South Waziristan is the southern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . Waziristan comprises the area west and southwest of Peshawar between the Tochi River to the north and the Gomal River to the south, forming...
. On 27 January, Pakistan Army brought the tunnel back under control of the security forces, after "fierce fighting" involving artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, helicopter gunships and heavy machine guns during which 24 militants were reported to have been killed.