Monday, June 9, 2014

Karachi airport: Pakistani Taliban claim responsibility for attack

Jon Boone
London Guardian
June 9, 2014

The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for an attack on Karachi airport in revenge for their late leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike in November.

The initial assault at Jinnah international airport in Pakistan’s southern port city began late on Sunday and raged until dawn, when the military said that at least 24 people – including all 10 attackers – had been killed.

Equipped with suicide vests, grenades and rocket-launchers, they had battled security forces in one of the most brazen attacks in years in Pakistan’s biggest city.

Fighting resumed early on Monday morning when gunshots could be heard inside the airport and rangers and elite commandos were seen rushing inside. Officials later said Pakistani forces were in control of the airport and would hand it back to civilian authority.

Full article here