Taliban encounter: Pakistani forces clear compound as 5 militants killed

Pakistani security forces Sunday killed three militants while two blew themselves up in a compound in the outskirts of Peshawar where they had taken shelter after the overnight attack on the air force base.

The militants exchanged fire with the police and troops for nearly two hours at Pawaka, a small village near Peshawar.

A policeman was also killed and four others were injured in firing by the militants, a police statement said.

The army said that the compound was cleared and all five militants were killed.

Military sources said that all five ‘terrorists killed apparently are identified as Uzbeks’.

A police statement said Sunday the cordoned miscreants started firing on police party, which was retaliated timely by the police, killing three of them while a police constable also lost life. Four policemen were critically injured, the statement said.

Provincial Information Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mian Ifitkhar Hussain said that five militants had taken shelter in an under-construction house near Peshawar airport after the overnight attack. He said due to tight security measures the militants could not escape.

The Civil Aviation authorities Sunday reopened Peshawar airport for flights after nearly 25-hour closure due to Taliban attack.

The security forces cleared the airport and adjacent air force base after three hours operation against the armed militants, who attacked the facilities with rockets, officials said Sunday.

Pakistan Air Force spokesman, Group Captain Tariq Mahmood said that five attackers were killed and the security forces are now in full control of both facilities.

Taliban claimed responsibility for the late Saturday attack.

A Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told the media on phone that the PAF base was the target.

However, the PAF spokesman said no security man was killed or injured in the attack as the attackers could not enter the airport and airbase.

Hospital sources said that five civilians were killed and 40 injured in the Saturday attack.

Giving details of the attack, the PAF spokesman said that the terrorists attacked PAF Base Peshawar at 2035 hrs, on 15 December, from a nearby Abdra village side.

“Terrorists used rockets and suicide bombers to penetrate the base parameters at three different places and caused minor damage to outer perimeter boundary wall,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

Security forces consisting of Pakistan Air Force and Army personnel, who were on full alert, cordoned of the Base and effectively repulsed the attack, the spokesman said.

Tariq Mahmood said terrorists used two vehicles laden with explosives, hand grenades, RPGs and automatic weapons, adding that one vehicle was destroyed and the second was badly damaged.

“Three suicide jackets were found near one of the vehicles. During the attack five terrorists got killed.” He said there was no damage to PAF equipment and personnel. Police effectively supported the operation at the external perimeter of the air filed.

“Coordinated joint operations by all security agencies thwarted the attack successfully”.

He said the combing operation which started at 11 p.m. continued till Base was declared clear by 2 a.m.

The spokesman said the Base is in total control and normal operations have resumed. The security alert was also raised on other PAF Air Bases as well.

Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Chief of the Air Staff appreciated security forces for their high morale and successful conduct of operations.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Dec 16 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.