Taliban militants aided by some Pakistan Navy officials tried to storm the strategic naval dockyard here but security forces foiled the assault after a fierce gun-battle in which a naval officer and two militants were killed.
The brazen attack, the fourth terror strike on sensitive military facilities in Pakistan this year, took place on Saturday but it was kept under wraps due to strategic reasons, a naval spokesman said.
At least six militants tried to storm the facility but the attempt was foiled by marine and army commandos who killed two militants, including a former navy official who had left the services a few months ago, and captured four others, officials said.
The former navy official, Owais Jhakrani, son of a senior police officer, was involved in the attack and was killed in the retaliatory firing by the security forces, Inspector General of Police in Sindh, Ghulam Qadir Thebo said.
In the fierce gun-battle with the militants, a serving naval officer was also killed and seven sailors were injured.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said that some insiders had a hand. “There were some Pakistan Navy officers involved in this attack,” Mr. Asif told reporters.
