PAKISTAN: Those concerned with state of security in their country after military forces battled for 16 hours with Taliban militants to reclaim Karachi's naval base

Record ID: 352628

  • Title: PAKISTAN: Those concerned with state of security in their country after military forces battled for 16 hours with Taliban militants to reclaim Karachi's naval base
  • Date: 25th May 2011
  • Summary: KARACHI, PAKISTAN (MAY 24, 2011) (REUTERS) MAIN GATE OF NAVAL BASE THAT WAS ATTACKED BY MILITANTS DISPLAY AIRCRAFT COMPOUND OF NAVAL BASE BURNT OUT AIRCRAFT BASE WITH MILITARY SOLDIER ON GUARD TRAFFIC ON ROAD
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Pakistan, Pakistan
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVAEPW1TBX9ECZ4YY2RD8WKVIUDX
  • Story Text: Pakistan residents had doubts on Tuesday (May 24) in their country's ability to confront militancy and maintain security after an attack on a Karachi naval air force base.
    The attack carried out on Sunday night (May 22) by Taliban militants heaped further humiliation on the military already stunned by the killing of Osama bin Laden on its territory.
    Troops recaptured the important PNS Mehran base on Monday (May 23) after a 16-hour battle with as few as six Taliban gunmen who had launched their attack to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden.
    The brazen assault on the headquarters of the naval air wing in Karachi fuelled fears about the Taliban's growing capacity to stage attacks and the military's shrinking ability to control extremists -- both inside and outside its own ranks.
    Karachi residents were surprised this attack was even possible.
    "What happened was totally unexpected. We did not expect that such an attack could take place on our intelligence agencies or on any of our armed forces. Things should never have been allowed to reach such a stage," Badruddin Ghazi, a watch maker said.
    Another resident said recent events did not inspire confidence in their military.
    "Our forces should become more vigilant. Recent events have shown that. First it was the Abbottabad episode, and now this happened at the Mehran base. I cannot see how people are going to feel safe after all this," bank employee Abdul Shakoor said.
    Interior Minister Rehman Malik said just six militants were believed to be involved in the attack on the PNS Mehran base in Karachi late on Sunday, destroying or damaging two aircraft and laying siege to a main building in one of the most heavily guarded bases in the unstable, nuclear-armed country.
    At least 10 military personnel were killed and 20 wounded in the assault that started at 10.30 p.m. on Sunday (1730 GMT), a navy spokesman said.
    Malik said three militants were killed in the gunbattle while the body of a fourth was believed to be buried under the rubble of a collapsed wall. Two suspects were believed to have fled the scene, he added.
    One P-3C Orion, a maritime patrol aircraft supplied by the United States, had been destroyed and another aircraft had been damaged.
    The Pakistan Taliban, who are allied with al Qaeda, said they had staged the attack to avenge bin Laden's death.
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