Off the wire
• Senior CPC official to visit Russia  • ISIS grooming children like pedophiles: Australian spy boss  • China, Ecuador pledge to enhance cooperation in science, technology  • Dakar Rally 2016 to start from Buenos Aires  • Time spent outdoors decreases chance of myopia: Australian study  • Senior New Zealand minister to discuss FTA upgrade in China  • Vodafone hacking journalist's phone "attack on democracy": minister  • Chinese police arrest bear paw traders  • FIRS World Figure Skating Championships opens in Colombia  • Hungary to extend state of emergency to two more counties  
You are here: 　 Home

3rd LD Writethru: 8 Pakistani Taliban militants killed in attack on air base

Xinhua, September 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least eight members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed and 10 security personnel wounded in an attack on an air base of Pakistan Air Force near the country's northwestern provincial capital of Peshawar early Friday, a military spokesman said.

Pakistan army spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa said that up to 10 militants stormed the base at the town of Badhaber, some 6 km south of Peshawar near the Khyber tribal region.

At least 10 troops, including two officers, were also injured during the operation and were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital for treatment.

All strategic assets of the Pakistan air force present at the air base were safe, a spokesman of the air force said.

The assailants came from the back side of the air base and attacked the guard room at around 6 a.m. in the morning (0100 GMT).

According to Bajwa, the quick response force of the Pakistan army responded timely and contained the terrorists around guard room area.

"Quick reaction force reached, surrounded and isolated them," he said.

The TTP has claimed responsibility for the attack, local media reported.

"The TTP accepts the responsibility," TTP spokesman Muhammad Khorasani said in a statement, adding that the TTP's suicide unit had carried out the attack.

Militants armed with automatic guns fired rockets and hurled hand grenades at the security personnel.

According to an eyewitness, the attackers were wearing the uniform of Militia, a paramilitary force in the country's northwestern region.

A red alert has been issued for all bases of Pakistan Air Force in the restive region, military spokesman Bajwa said.

"Clearance operation is in progress. Search for hidden terrorists is underway," he said.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack and reiterated the nation's resolve to continue its mission of eliminating terrorism.

Sharif said the armed forces of the county have the full support of the entire nation and that networks of terrorists would soon be eliminated from Pakistan.

Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif has also left for Peshawar where he will visit the Corps Headquarters to meet the troops participating in the operation.

The general will also visit the wounded troops admitted in the hospital, the official said. Endi