Karachi Under Heavy Fire

A fresh terrorist attack has just emerged in Karachi Airport in which gunmen disguised as police guards stormed the international terminal in Karachi, set off explosions and killed 18 people. All 10 gunmen died in the battle. The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the assault was revenge for army airstrikes on their strongholds near the Afghan border and the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud, the Taliban chief who died in a drone strike last November. The banned terrorist outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has claimed the responsibility of attacking Karachi airport in which 29 people were killed, including 10 militants. Pakistani authorities, who suggested the gunmen appeared to be Uzbeks, believe the group intended to destroy or

hijack aircraft before they were stopped by the security personnel and commandos. "We attacked the airport to avenge death of Hakimullah Mehsud, our late leader. There are many more to come as it is just the beginning," Shahidullah Shahid, Pakistani Taliban spokesperson said on Monday. He also accused the Pakistan government of using peace talks as a tool of war. According to Asim Qadeer Rana, a security defence analyst, the terror attack on the airport indicated that there can be more in the days to come. "This fresh attack shows how agitated they are. One can expect more attacks in the future," Rana said. Even though Pakistani Taliban said they attacked the airport to avenge Mehsud's killing, many point out that the strike came soon after government- TTP talks ended. The talks had continued for months with the aim to reach a peace deal. But soon after the peace talks collapsed last month, Pakistan Air force jets pounded suspected hideouts of militants in North Waziristan Agency. The Air Force action eliminated dozens of militants, including various commanders of TTP. Authorities believe the airport attack resembles the May 2011 strike on the key Mehran Naval base in Karachi by heavily armed terrorists. Many were killed and aircraft, worth billions of Pakistani rupees, were destroyed. It was the fourth such attack on a heavily- guarded Navy installation that year.