The new route decreases the time required to travel through the Kohat Pass by about 20 minutes.

The tunnel was at the center 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 killed.

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