Taliban militants on Tuesday attacked a training camp of the Airport Security Force near Karachi international airport in Karachi, but fled after Pakistani forces repulsed the assault, a day after an all-night siege at the facility left nearly 40 people dead.
Two militants attacked the camp number 2, located at the ASF academy in Bitai Abad, near the Jinnah International Airport which had been cleared of militants after fierce clashes between forces and terrorists on Monday.
The attackers failed to penetrate the security cordon and managed to flee into nearby residential areas.
ASF spokesman Col. Tahir Ali said the incident had been played up and dismissed reports about five terrorists entering the base camp and engaging the security forces.
“The fact is that two men on a motorcycle came this morning to gate D of our camp and fired on two lady ASF officials on duty there but as soon as our forces retaliated and took positions after a brief exchange of fire they fled into the neighbourhood of Pehalwan Goth,” Col. Ali said.
He said the situation was now under control and the paramilitary Rangers and police had launched a search operation in the vicinity to find the two terrorists.
“The Pakistan Army is also carrying out surveillance from helicopters and the situation is under control. The Jinnah international airport is in the control of the authorities,” he said.
Earlier conflicting reports about the attack emerged over the number of terrorists who had attacked the ASF camp.
A spokesman for the Pakistan International Airlines said flight schedule had been disrupted as passengers and visitors to the Jinnah airport were evacuated to safe locations after the attack at the ASF camp on Tuesday morning.
“Some flights were disturbed and a foreign airline flight to Dubai couldn’t take off on time due to the disturbance but now the airport and runaway is under total control of security forces and operations are getting back to normal,” he said.
The Twitter account of the CAA, @AirportPakistan tweeted that EK 606 from Dubai which was expected to arrive at Karachi airport at 12:50 p.m. is now returning to Dubai.
A Twitter account allegedly operated by Omar Khorasani of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Mohmand faction tweeted on Tuesday that the group has carried out this second attack.
This is the same area from where a group of 10 terrorists, who attacked and laid siege to the old Karachi airport on Sunday night, gained access to the restricted site.
Eleven airport security guards, along with a paramilitary ranger and a policeman, 14 civilian workers and 10 militants were killed in the previous attack.
The attack came a day after >the deadly assault at Karachi international airport. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has >claimed responsibility for the attack on the airport.
