ISLAMABAD: At least 29 people were killed and 26 others were injured after heavily-armed terrorists disguised as security forces stormed Karachi airport - Pakistan's busiest - on Sunday night and again exposed the vulnerability of the nuclear-armed country's vital installations.The latest Pakistani Taliban assault was the most daring since they had struck at a naval base in Karachi in May 2011. It came despite a split within the Taliban ranks and demonstrated their ability to carry out coordinated attacks at will.
Officials said the slain included 10 attackers, who stormed the airport just before midnight disguised as Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel. Explosions and gunfire continued across the airport throughout the night. But no aircraft was damaged and passengers were evacuated and all flights diverted. The siege ended at dawn on Monday when all attackers were killed.
Karachi's Jinnah Hospital spokesperson Seemi Jamali said 19 bodies were brought there. They included 11 airport security personnel, a paramilitary ranger, a civil aviation official and five Pakistan International Airlines employees. "Another 26 people were wounded with five of them critical,' she said.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened more assaults to send a message to the government. "We are still alive and strong enough to react to the killings of innocent people in aerial strikes on their villages," said Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid.
He said the attack on the airport was aimed to avenge slain Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud's killing in a US drone attack in November last year. Shahid dismissed the government's talks' offer.
"Pakistan used peace talks as a tool of war. It killed hundreds of innocent tribal women and children. This is our first attack to avenge the death of Hakimullah Mehsud," he said. "We are yet to avenge deaths of hundreds of innocent tribal women and children in Pakistani air strikes.'
The Taliban spokesman warned it is just the beginning. "We have taken revenge for one, we have to take revenge for hundreds," he said. "We will continue carrying out such attacks.'
In Karachi, paramilitary Pakistani Rangers director general Maj Gen Rizwan Akhtar said the attackers appeared to be of Uzbek, Tajik and Afghan origin. "They came in two groups of five each. While seven of them were killed by the security forces, three attackers blew themselves up.'
Civil Aviation Authority officials said the terrorists attacked the airport's old terminal mostly used for cargo and private VIP flights. They were killed before they could reach the main terminal.
An intelligence official said it appeared the terrorists aimed to hijack a plane that passengers were boarding at the main terminal.
Sources said an initial investigation report submitted to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif revealed the terrorists wanted to destroy airplanes and paralyze air traffic operations.
A Rangers' officer told reporters the attackers were carrying Indian weapons. But Maj Gen Akhtar dismissed alleged Indian involvement as "too early and premature'.
But Jamat-ud-Dawah
An organization occupying prime space on the UN list of entities and organizations known to support Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
chief Hafiz Saeed blamed India for the attack. "(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi's new security team is behind this act of war by India. Nation knows the real enemy," he tweeted.
Yes they certainly do you di*khead.
He earlier retweeted a JuD tweet calling "the spectacle" at the Karachi airport "Modi's plan against Pakistan'. The tweet called for "direct response of needless appeasement of new 'Hindutva' Government".
In a separate tweet, Saeed asked the Pakistan government to "end exchange of gifts with India; show spine".
The real purpose of this attack may be to raise the stakes for Nawaz Sharif if he redirects military efforts from India to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan. This attack would put a steel rod up my back.