Attack on an Air Base Foiled by Security Forces

ISLAMABAD: Three already grounded aircraft and a fuel bowser were damaged in a militant attack on an air force base in Pakistan’s Mianwali district on Saturday, the Pakistani military said, adding three attackers had been killed and a clearance operation was underway.

The training base of the Pakistan Air Force came under attack in the wee hours of Saturday, according to the military’s media wing.

It said the timely response resulted in the killing of three attackers while entering the base, whereas three others had been “cornered.”

“Due to the swift and effective response by the troops, has been foiled and thwarted, ensuring the safety and security of personnel and assets,” the ISPR said in a statement.

“However, during the attack, some damage to three already grounded aircraft and a fuel bowser also occurred.”

The assault comes a day after three separate attacks killed 21 people, including 15 security personnel, in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces that border Afghanistan.

Pakistan last month asked all illegal immigrants, mostly Afghan nationals, to leave the country by November 1, saying they were involved in attacks, smuggling and other offenses.

The expulsion order followed suicide bombings in Pakistan this year that the government said involved Afghan nationals, though it did not provide any evidence.

Pakistan has since set up tens of holding centers to speed up the repatriation process as authorities continue to arrest illegal immigrants in nationwide sweeps since the expiry of the deadline.