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On Tuesday, Taliban gunmen attacked a Karachi airport security post, only a day after militants’ offensive at the airport. 37 people were killed in the all-night siege that ripped apart the peace process between the Taliban and the Pakistani government.
Tuesday’s assault on the security post was aimed at an entry point to a nearby Airport Security Force camp, some 500 meters away from the main airport premises, and approximately a kilometer away from the airport’s passenger terminal. Paramilitary rangers, army personnel and policemen were all called in to the site; officials added that they did not exchange fire with militants and that there were no casualties.
According to Colonel Tahir Ali, spokesman for the Airport Security Force, “Two people came towards the ASF (Airport Security Force) check post and started firing.Nobody has been killed or injured”.
Abid Qaimkhani, spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, said flights had resumed operations after being temporarily suspended for the second time in two days.
Major General Asim Bajwa, spokesman for the Pakistani army, confirmed that the incident was over, adding that a few assailants were involved in the attack.“3-4 terrorists fired near ASF camp, ran away. No breach of fence, no entry. Chase is on, situation under control”, he posted on his Twitter account. According to sources, the gunmen had fled to a shanty settlement close to the airport.
Later in the day, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, and said that it was a response to the government’s air strikes in the tribal region. Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said, “Today’s attack on ASF (Airport Security Force) in Karachi is in response to the bombardment on innocent people in Tirah Valley and other tribal areas. We will continue such attacks”.
Pakistani jets had, earlier in the morning, launched air strikes on a district often used by militant groups for hideouts, apparently retaliating to Monday’s siege on Karachi airport. According to the military, nine “terrorist hideouts” were destroyed during the raid.
