- Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) besieged Karachi’s Jinnah airport, allegedly to avenge the death of its late leader Hakimullah Mehsud who died in a U.S. drone strike.
- The resulting fierce battle between TTP and the Pakistani Army left many 28 dead, and several others injured.
- Gunmen dressed in uniform entered the airport, which employs the best of the securities, in the morning, and carried the attack close to midnight using guns, grenades and suicide vests. Nearly 3 explosions were reported.
- After a 12-hr fight, the army cleared the airport of all militia and released the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Pakistan International Airport (PIA) employees.
- TTP in a statement said that the attacks were selected to have minimum public loss and maximum loss of govt personnel.
- The attack was condemned by Afghan President amidst battling a Taliban insurgency in his own country.
- Pakistan has been attempting to end TTP’s bloody insurgency, but with little success as more than 300 people have been killed in militant strikes raising questions over security issues in Pak. The Army has retorted with air strikes, but has thus far refrained from a total offensive.
- The group has earlier attacked Mehran naval base and Pak’s military headquarters in Rawalpindi.
- Read at:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/reprisal-for-mehsud-killing-taliban/article6099366.ece
Exams Perspective:
- Terrorism
- Drones
- Taliban