Pakistan base attackers damage 3 aircraft
A group affiliated with the Taliban in Pakistan claims responsibility for the attack.
A group affiliated with the Taliban in Pakistan claims responsibility for the attack.
Armed men attacked a Pakistan air force training base on Saturday and damaged three aircraft, the military said.
Nine men were killed before they entered the base, with three more attackers "cornered/isolated," a military statement said.
The Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, a newly emerged militant group that is an affiliate of the home-grown Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan movement, claimed responsibility in a statement to media.
The latest attack happened in the early hours of Saturday morning in the city of Mianwali, in central Punjab province, near the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border.
"Due to the swift and effective response by the troops, it has been foiled and thwarted, ensuring the safety and security of personnel and assets," the military statement said.
"However, during the attack, some damage to three already grounded aircraft and a fuel bowser also occurred."
The attack comes after 14 troops were killed when their convoy came under attack in Balochistan province and six civilians died when a police van was targeted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, both on Friday.
Analysts say militant groups have become emboldened by the return to power of the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.
The TTP movement shares a common hardline Islamist ideology with their Afghan counterparts.
They have largely focused on targeting security forces, with civilians sometimes caught up in the violence.
Meanwhile, Balochistan is home to a decades-long insurgency by ethnic Baloch guerrillas fighting the government over accusations of exploiting the province's rich gas and mineral resources.
WITH AFP
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