Adil Najam
A series of explosions and blasts have been reported in Karachi in and around various military installations, including the Mehran Naval Aviation base. Multiple explosions were reported from the PAF area near Shahrah-e-Faisal in Karachi. Flames from within the Air Force compound have been shown on television and reportedly some of the attackers are still inside the military compound where fighting continues.
Details remain sketchy and continue to evolve by the minute. Meanwhile, some are already calling this a “Mumbai-like” operation with choreographed multiple points of attack and mention is being made of possibly hostages being taken within a particular part of the compound.
According to Dawn:
Several explosions have been heard near the PAF Museum on Dalmia Road in Karachi. The force of the blasts have shattered the windows of surrounding buildings, reports said. Heavy gunfire was also reported after the explosion. An eyewitness said that the blasts took place near the gate of Faisal Base.
A large fire and a thick cloud of smoke has also been reported. Police have sealed the area. “We are trying to check the cause of the blast. I cannot say,” said a senior police official. Another police official said gunfire was also reported from inside the base, Reuters reported. “Several blasts were heard inside, the firing is still continuing,” Aslam Khan, a senior police officer at site told AFP.
According to The News:
Four people were killed in an armed attack Sunday by terrorists on PNS Mehran, a heavily guarded base of Pakistan Navy, located along Sharea Faisal, according to a foreign news agency. TV images showed flames rising in the air from PNS Mehran where terrorists blew up a US made P-3C Orion plane of Pakistan Navy.
Five injured in the incident were shifted to a local hospital. Additional personnel of security forces were also seen moving inside PNS Mehran. Electricity of the entire area has also been shut down. Earlier, four blasts were reported from the area near PAF base Faisal.
Ambulances and fire tenders were seen rushing toward the base following the powerful blasts that were heard across a wide radius. Gunshots fired from sophisticated weapons were also heard following the blasts. It is pertinent to mention here that in the previous weeks three buses of Pakistan Navy had been attacked by terrorists in the metropolitan city of Karachi.
It’s funny how every relevant institution in Pakistan (army, navy, civilians government, etc) says that this is the work of the TTP, but Adnan still says this is the work of RAW. I got a conspiracy for you. Considering that the military gets so much money every budget in Pakistan because it must be prepared for India, wouldn’t you think that they should come out and scream India did it if that were the case? Transgressions by RAW in many places past and present (Kashmir, Punjab, Northeast, etc) are fine enough to defame the organization if thats whats your looking for. Besides that, you just sound ridiculous.
@Adnan: Who is the direct beneficiary of attacks on Pakistani soil “from Pakistani soil”? The ex-army chief and dictator who is sitting in exile and wringing his hands to get back in power. who is beneficiary of attacks which show Pakistan’s civilian gov. and present army chief? The ex- army chief who desperately wants to grab the power back.
India is completely focused on its own growth and development; unlike you who can think only “India, India, India…”. The day you wake up and start thinking only “Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan you will start making a difference to your country. Your enemy is not across the border, he is sitting right in your home because he was born and brought up there. Open your eyes and your mind sir, the whole world is developing in a positive way except you and your country. Because you know only one thing, blame others for your plight. apane girhban me jhaank kar dekhiye, saare saanp bichhu wahin baithe hain aur aapko kaat rahe hainm bahar waalon ko fursat nahi aapake baare me baith kar sochane aur waqt gawane ki.
While launchers targeted P-3Cs, out of them one completely burnt, it can easily be understood who is afraid of Navy capabilities of Pakistan. USA? No. Israel? Nope. Russia? Not at all! It’s none other than India who is the direct beneficiary of this damage. It’s interesting to see why only those planes were targeted first? Pakistan Navy did not have such planes who could carry out operation in deep sea. By attacking these planes could definitely give an edge to Indian Navy who was quite perplexed since the day Pakistan started thinking about it(http://bit.ly/mjBrXC). So pro-Indian apologists who just label anything as conspiracy and swallow anything contains the term “Talibans” are actually on agenda to mislead others while in reality they are mislead by themselves. So whoever carried out the attacks, the people played the front role to give India an edge.
…Also, this stunning incompetence by our navy must be reviewed. Let’s start cutting some generals pay because they clearly are not doing there job that well.
Also, this was not our war from the beginning. The US forced Musharraf into this with the whole “your with us or against us.” For this reason, the US must remember that we are owed our aid. Also consider that Pakistan has been given about $18 billion by the US but the war on terror has cost above $43 billion in losses so no ones doing us any big favors.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/28476/pakistan-lost-43 -billion-in-last-nine-years/
Yet, this is our war now. The military clearly needs to reform its efforts in some way because what’s happening now is not working. This does not equal more money for the military because dirty water, illiteracy, disease, etc still kill way more people than any terrorist, or RAW, or etc, ever have. The military is bloated as is. I’m sure there is space for reform.
For those idiots who keep saying Pakistan brought this on themselves, even those who accuse the ISI of supporting terrorists say that they support the Afghan Taliban. This attack was done by the TTP. The Army and the ISI, too, hate the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan or the so called “Bad Taliban.”
Also, stop saying “Pakistan” brought this on themselves. If the accusations against some individuals in the ISI and Army (that they support the Haqqani Network) are true, I don’t see how the rest of us 180 MILLION people (AKA Pakistan) should be held hostage or responsible to this BS. We 180 million people are Pakistan and those few ISI who have supported the Haqqanis are the responsible parties, NOT PAKISTAN.