Suicide bombers storm Pakistan airbase:
Eight militants and one soldier die in attack on Minhas base in Punjab province
Suicide bombers wearing military uniforms have stormed an airbase in Pakistan, heightening fears over the strength of militant groups in the country.
The attack on the Minhas base at Kamra, in Punjab province, which is thought to house part of the country's nuclear arsenal, damaged one plane and led to the death of one soldier. At least eight militants died.
The attackers, some dressed in military uniforms and armed with rocket-propelled grenades, climbed over a three-metre wall covered in barbed wire and attempted to approach hangars containing aircraft, an air force spokesman said. They kept up a gun battle for several hours, forcing the army to call in extra support from commandos.
The commander of the base, Muhammad Azam, was reported to be in a stable condition after being shot in the shoulder.
Soldiers searching the facility later found at least two remote-controlled bombs. "We are checking every inch of the complex to make sure there are no other miscreants," said a spokesman, Tariq Mahmood.
The president, Asif Ali Zardari, condemned the attack and said the government was determined to eliminate terrorism.
It is the third time Minhas and the nearby Pakistan aeronautical complex, where fighter jets are assembled, have been attacked since 2007. Militants have mounted ambitious assaults on military facilities across the country in recent years, including a 16-hour attack on a naval base in Karachi last year that killed at least 10 military personnel.
This week Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, said Pakistan would soon launch a major operation against militants in Waziristan, a semi-autonomous area near the Afghan border that is a hotbed of militancy.
Pakistan has long resisted US pressure to attempt to clear the area, particularly North Waziristan, which is home to the Haqqani Network, a Taliban-allied group known for attacks in Kabul. Panetta suggested that the Pakistani Taliban would be the most likely targets of any operation.
guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Eight militants and one soldier die in attack on Minhas base in Punjab province
Suicide bombers wearing military uniforms have stormed an airbase in Pakistan, heightening fears over the strength of militant groups in the country.
The attack on the Minhas base at Kamra, in Punjab province, which is thought to house part of the country's nuclear arsenal, damaged one plane and led to the death of one soldier. At least eight militants died.
The attackers, some dressed in military uniforms and armed with rocket-propelled grenades, climbed over a three-metre wall covered in barbed wire and attempted to approach hangars containing aircraft, an air force spokesman said. They kept up a gun battle for several hours, forcing the army to call in extra support from commandos.
The commander of the base, Muhammad Azam, was reported to be in a stable condition after being shot in the shoulder.
Soldiers searching the facility later found at least two remote-controlled bombs. "We are checking every inch of the complex to make sure there are no other miscreants," said a spokesman, Tariq Mahmood.
The president, Asif Ali Zardari, condemned the attack and said the government was determined to eliminate terrorism.
It is the third time Minhas and the nearby Pakistan aeronautical complex, where fighter jets are assembled, have been attacked since 2007. Militants have mounted ambitious assaults on military facilities across the country in recent years, including a 16-hour attack on a naval base in Karachi last year that killed at least 10 military personnel.
This week Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, said Pakistan would soon launch a major operation against militants in Waziristan, a semi-autonomous area near the Afghan border that is a hotbed of militancy.
Pakistan has long resisted US pressure to attempt to clear the area, particularly North Waziristan, which is home to the Haqqani Network, a Taliban-allied group known for attacks in Kabul. Panetta suggested that the Pakistani Taliban would be the most likely targets of any operation.
guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Comments