PAKISTAN: Pakistani troops pour into the naval base in Karachi in bid to end siege by Taliban

Record ID: 352383

  • Title: PAKISTAN: Pakistani troops pour into the naval base in Karachi in bid to end siege by Taliban
  • Date: 24th May 2011
  • Summary: KARACHI , PAKISTAN (MAY 23, 2011) (REUTERS) BOUNDARY WALL OF NAVAL BASE MILITARY JEEP PASSING BY MILITARY TRUCKS ARRIVING TRUCK CARRYING COMMANDOS ENTERING NAVAL BASE NAVAL BASE COMPOUND/ BURNT AIRCRAFT BURNT AIRCRAFT SOLDIERS ON ROOF OF SURVEILLANCE TOWER A SUSPECT ARRESTED FROM OUTSIDE THE BASE, SITTING INSIDE POLICE VAN AND SHOUTING LOCAL PEOPLE STANDING (SOU
  • Embargoed: 8th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Pakistan, Pakistan
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAEIDDY45NM8PR7OR7YXUW2RMFG
  • Story Text: Troops appeared to be ending a Taliban siege of Pakistan's naval air force headquarters on Monday (May 23) after the most audacious militant attack in the unstable, nuclear-armed country since the killing of Osama bin Laden.
    More than 20 Pakistani Taliban gunmen stormed the PNS Mehran base in the city of Karachi on Sunday, blowing up at least one aircraft and fighting with troops for more than 12 hours.
    Security officials, however, said the operation to end the siege was in the final stages and Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters that a major area in the base had been cleared.
    One security official said the operation had not finished yet, but was "nearing an end."
    The assault casts fresh doubt on the Pakistani military's ability to protect its bases following an attack on army headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi in 2009, and is a further embarrassment following the surprise raid by U.S. special forces on the al Qaeda leader's hideout north of Islamabad on May 2.
    "The people have become even more scared after seeing all this happen. If they (security forces) cannot protect themselves, how are they going to protect us?" said local resident Akhtar Gul.
    Sporadic bouts of heavy gunfire erupted from the base as security forces fought to end the siege. Twelve military personnel were killed and 14 wounded in the assault that started at 10.30 p.m. on Sunday (1730 GMT), a navy spokesman said.
    One security official said the militants had taken over a building on the base. Another official, contacted inside the base, denied reports that hostages had been taken but added there was a chance that some terrorists had suicide belts or jackets.
    The base is 15 miles (24 km) from the Masroor Air Base, Pakistan's largest and a possible depot for nuclear weapons.
    The Pakistan Taliban, which is allied with al Qaeda, said they had carried out the attack to avenge bin Laden's death.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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