An air force training base of Pakistan was reportedly attacked by a group of militants on Saturday early morning. As of now, a total of nine militants were killed in the counter operation, and the mission officially concluded. The base is located in the central Pakistani city of Mianwali in the Punjab province. Three of the militants were killed even before entering the base, and the others were cornered initially before the clearance operation began, reported the news agency Reuters. Three aircraft and a fueling tanker have been damaged and the Pakistan based terror group – Tehreek-e Jihad (TTP) – claimed the responsibility of the attack, said the country’s military.
According to Pakistan Air Force (PAF), the three militants were killed in the retaliatory firing and PAF successfully foiled the attack before the militants could enter the airbase. As stated by the country’s defence force, the Mianwali Training Air Base of Pakistan Air Force came under a “failed terrorist attack” on November 4. The timely and effective response by the troops “foiled and thwarted” the attack and “ensured safety and security”. ”Three terrorists were neutralised even before they could enter the base while the remaining 3 terrorists have been cornered/isolated due to timely and effective response by the troops”, the military added. Multiple videos of the attack are being widely circulated on social media, but are not verified.
Considering various reports, the militants used a ladder to enter the fenced walls of the airbase. The statement made clear that three grounded aircrafts and a fuel bowser were damaged. The PAF said that, “it will remain committed to eliminating menace of terrorism from the country at all costs”. Earlier in last week also the security forces in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), met with two separate attacks.
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed his gratitude and “salute” to the security forces for the brave and swift action. Mr Sharif took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle and said that, “Salute our security forces for their swift action, preventing casualties and foiling evil plans of our enemies. These repeated attacks reveal our enemies’ desperation, but we stand resilient”. “Our forces are vigilant, united to defeat terrorism. We’re determined to preserve peace and stability. Prayers for the affected families and our brave security personnel”, he added.
Source: Mint
