At least six militants have been killed in an attack on a Pakistani air force base in the country’s troubled northwest. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the assault.
Gunmen stormed the guard room of the Badaber air base on the outskirts of Peshawar early on Friday, triggering a shootout with security forces, DW reported.
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa said at least six militants were killed and two soldiers injured in the clashes, and that “clearance operations” were now underway. A rescue officer said at least 20 wounded had to be taken to hospital. TV footage showed helicopters hovering above the base as police and troops searched for militants in the area surrounding the compound.
A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, Mohamad Khurasani, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement to the media, he said their fighters had targeted 50 security forces, but had allowed women and children to leave safely. The claims have not yet been verified.
Local police officer Shahid Khan Bangash said a large explosion was heard after the “terrorists” tried to enter the air force base. “We are hearing that the attackers were armed with guns and rockets,” he said.
Peshawar’s Badaber air base was not functional, and was mostly being used as accommodation for employees and officers of the air force.
A crackdown on militancy and an army offensive targeting Taliban bases have led to a decline in attacks in the country this year. Last December, Taliban gunmen massacred around 150 children and teachers at a military-run school in Peshawar.
