- Ten terrorists among 28 killed in gunbattle
- ISPR DG says vital assets at airport safe
- Rangers DG says DNA tests of ‘Uzbek’ terrorists to be carried out
- PM to chair emergency security meeting this week
A report on the Karachi airport attack, which was presented to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday, revealed that terrorists wanted to destroy all the aircraft at the airport.
The findings of the report revealed that terrorists wanted to paralyse entire air traffic operations but the Airport Security Force (ASF) blocked their march towards Jinnah Terminal.
It also disclosed that terrorists had entered the airport from two separate locations.
He said the control of the airport had been handed over to the Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA).
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Aviation Shujaat Azeem said the Karachi airport was made operational at 4pm. He moreover said that security was heightened at all the airports.
Earlier, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had ordered authorities to reopen the Karachi airport for public as soon as possible. He directed the CAA to facilitate the passengers in every possible manner.
A PIA spokesperson told Radio Pakistan that 15-20 flights were disturbed due to the terrorist attack and these would be rescheduled to accommodate the passengers.
Meanwhile, ISPR DG Major General Asim Bajwa tweeted that the final clearance of the entire airport had been completed. Major General Asim Bajwa, said, “All vital assets are intact” after six-hour siege at Karachi airport. Area cleared. No damage to aircraft, fire visible in pics was not plane but a building, now extinguished. All vital assets intact,” the military spokesman said in a tweet.
He said all the terrorists were eliminated and weapons, ammunition,
including RPGs, rockets were recovered.
Bajwa said, “The Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif paid rich tribute to all
shaheed and injured for their supreme sacrifice.”
“Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif congratulated participating troops for a well-coordinated, successful operation eliminating all terrorists,” he said in a tweet.
Authorities said all 10 militants were killed and that the bodies of 18
victims, including security personnel and four airport workers, had been identified at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
Rangers DG Rizwan Akhtar told reporters at the airport that the operation started at 11:30pm on Sunday night and continued until 4am on Monday.
“Seven terrorists were killed by the security forces while three blew
themselves up,” Rizwan Akhtar told the reporters.
Furthermore, eight personnel of the Airport Security Force (ASF) sustained injuries during the late night operation to secure terminal one of the Karachi airport. One Rangers man was martyred while four others were injured. Fortunately no plane was damaged in the attack.
He also said that DNA tests of the terrorists would be carried out for their identification and to ascertain if they were foreigners as they appeared to be Uzbek from appearance.
The DG also said that an investigation was currently underway to confirm if the weapons recovered from the terrorists were Indian or not.
Heavily-armed terrorists launched an assault on Pakistan’s busiest airports in Karachi, leaving at least 18 dead in a six-hour siege that the army quelled at dawn on Monday.
Explosions and gunfire rang out as the attackers, equipped with suicide vests, grenades and rocket launchers, battled security forces in one of the most brazen attacks in years in Pakistan’s biggest city.
Authorities said all 10 militants were killed and that the bodies of 18
victims, including security personnel and four airport workers, had been identified at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
According to reports, in the aftermath of the deadly gun and bomb attack at Karachi airport on Sunday night, the government is convening an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee on National Security (CCNS) to discuss the security situation and future of peace talks.
While a date for the meeting has not yet been disclosed, it is learnt that the CCNS will convene this week at the PM House, with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the chair.
The decision to convene a meeting was announced hours after the
banned terrorist outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in a statement claimed responsibility for the airport attack.
Talks to end the TTP’s bloody seven-year insurgency have been underway since February but observers say that these are over now and the government is likely to give a befitting reply to the dastardly attack.
Nawaz has pushed for a peaceful solution to the security crisis in the
country, but critics point out that talks are merely a subterfuge being used by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to give them time to rearm and gain strength.
In a previous CCNS meeting, it was decided that peace negotiations would be held only if militants agree to disarm otherwise force would be used against them.
In recent weeks, the military has conducted several air attacks on militant hideouts in North Waziristan which the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said were retaliation to the killings of civilian and security forces personnel by terrorists in Fata, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi.
Observers believe that after the airport attack and admission by the TTP, there is no more possibility of continuation of negotiations and an operation in FATA is imminent.
