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.
Why are you all so suprised? Our country has been playing with fire for $$$ for over 3 decades. Those who have been shouting throughout these decades were labelled as ghadar’s and traitor’s. And they still are labeled exactly that. I would request Gilani/Zardari or any other cartoon out there to board a flight to Europe because now it is time to grab more $$$. At least our coffers should be full when the country disintegrates.
A very unfortunate event indeed. No common Jihadi can carry out this attack. It requires expert planning. Pakistani military establishment, if it has any shame left, should reveal the name of the real culprit. India remains a suspect until a full inquiry is completed. Delhi would be enjoying the moment. They have been quite happy during the last 20 days. Hope their happiness will be short lived.
We need an even larger and grander Defense Housing Authority Scheme in PNS Mehran——
Terrorists strolling on Air force Runways!!! WTF ..No other self absorbed cretins would sell their airforce base to erect town houses and rastaurants in their garrisons. This is what you get when you turn soldiers in bloody waiters!
What else do you expect from World’s biggest real estate agency aka Pak Forces.!!?
The real qustion is , will plot prices drop in General’s Colony after this incident!!!
Its past 2 am here in India and on a Pak news channel a Paki security analyst just confirmed that it is a big loss to Pakistan that the P3 Orion has been destroyed. It is the only plane with on board radar to detect submarines and other movable artillery.
This reminds me of an old saying “Bandar ke haath mein ustra (razor) nahin dena chahiye (coz you never know who he will attack).
Your Army & ISI has given “Ustra” (arms and tactical support) to “Bandars” (Terrorists). They have created enough mayhem in India and Afghanistan and many other countries of the world. Now the “Bandar” has come back home and wanna play.
They even dont let anyone inside the base with being checked your identity and they take ID CARDS OF EVERYONE and going in a shape of flocks of people going inside,impossible as i have experienced going inside this area, they ask you thousand question that why are you going in ?who are u going to meet inside ??how long time would you take,n plausibly if it were their mistake that the terrorist went inside in flocks of 10 to 12 ,is seem totally unbelievable to me.How could that be happened in presence of such security in and outside that barracks which one has to pass inorder to get in.