Karachi: Over 10 terrorists stormed a military airbase in this southern port city on Sunday, killing at least four naval personnel as they lobbed grenades and fired indiscriminately.
Terrorists blew up a PC3 Orion aircraft in the daring attack at Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) Faisal airbase which also houses PNS Mehran, the naval air station, a government official said.
They targeted PNS Mehran where some Chinese engineers were reportedly engaged in work within the Faisal airbase, at about 10:40 pm, sources said.
The terrorists lobbed several grenades and exchanged heavy fire with security forces. The firing died out at about 11:30 pm but erupted again at midnight.
Terrorists numbering between 12 and 15 were reported to be involved in the attack in the highly secured area were believed to be holed up inside the base. The terrorists apparently entered the Naval base and hangers through the Pakistan Air Force museum, a security official said.
Terrorists involved in the attack in the highly secured area were believed to be holed up inside the base. Officials of the Citizens Police Liaison Committee confirmed that at least four naval personnel were killed.
Other officials said six persons were injured, including a foreigner. Sources said that some Chinese engineers were working at the naval base.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik confirmed that a group of terrorists had attacked the airbase. "I can confirm terrorists have attacked the Pakistan Navy base tonight and they are still inside the base. Heavy contingents of special naval commandos and other security forces have been rushed to the base," Malik said.
"We have dispatched Naval commandos and para-military rangers to the base to tackle the situation," Malik said. The terrorists were still within the airbase and naval commandos and paramilitary Pakistan Rangers were deployed to counter them, he told the media.
Dawn News channel quoted witnesses as saying that they had heard up to five blasts. Heavy firing continued for over 20 minutes after the first blast occurred, following which there were reports of intermittent firing.
Hundreds of paramilitary personnel surrounded the airbase while commandos from the army's elite Special Services Group were sent in to sweep the area.
Footage on television showed ambulances rushing to the airbase as security guards cordoned off the area. Flames and thick smoke billowed into the sky from an object burning near a four-engine aircraft.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack, which came 20 days after al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a US raid on the garrison city of Abbottabad. The Taliban and Al Qaida have vowed to avenge bin Laden's killing by carrying out attacks in Pakistan and the US.
The high-security area where the attack occurred houses the PAF's Southern Air Command, Air War College and museum as well as PNS Mehran, the main naval air station in Karachi.
Al Qaeda-linked Taliban militants, who have vowed to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden by US Special Forces, have carried out several attacks since his death on May 2.
Ahmed Chennai, head of the Citizens Police Liasion Committee in the city told a television channel that CCTV cameras of the city government showed that explosions had taken place at three different locations in the same area.
"One of the explosions was near the PAF Faisal base museum while the second explosion occured at the Naval airport and hangers inside the Faisal base," he said.
The Naval base has helicopters, ammunition and surveillance planes.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the terrorist attack, saying such "cowardly acts of terror could not deter the commitment of the government and people of Pakistan to fight terrorism".
Gilani spoke to Interior Minister Malik and was constantly in touch with the three service chiefs regarding the incident, an official statement said. He directed authorities to take all out measures to protect the lives of officials and public property and to keep vigilant.
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