Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
The Pakistani Taliban (), formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (Urdu/ ps, , lit=Student Movement of Pakistan, TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani bo ...
(TTP) and
Al Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...
which took place on 22 May 2011, at
PNS Mehran
The PNS Mehran is the naval station and the premier air–to-air/ air–to–ground training naval air station located in the joint vicinity of the Faisal Air Force Base (Faisal AFB) in Karachi, Sindh, in Pakistan. Established in 1975 with the ...
, the headquarters of the
Pakistan Navy
ur, ہمارے لیے اللّٰہ کافی ہے اور وہ بہترین کارساز ہے۔ English language, English: Allah is Sufficient for us - and what an excellent (reliable) Trustee (of affairs) is He!(''Quran, Qur'an, Al Imran, 3:173' ...
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
,
Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
.
In the course of the event, 15 attackers killed 18 military personnel and wounded 16 in a sophisticated terrorist attack which lasted 16 hours. Two American-built P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft were destroyed.
According to the United States and Western intelligence sources, the attack was far more dangerous than the 2009 Pakistan Army General Headquarters attack, and was better planned and more rehearsed than the previous attack. It was the biggest attack on the Navy and its assets since
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
Ja ...
, and is believed to have been the last major attack of militant mastermind
Ilyas Kashmiri
Ilyas Kashmiri, also referred to as Maulana Ilyas Kashmiri, Mufti Ilyas Kashmiri and Muhammad Ilyas Kashmiri (10 February 1964 – 3 June 2011), was a Pakistani ex-Special Forces Islamist guerrilla insurgent who fought against India in K ...
. The
Special Service Group Navy
The Pakistan Navy Special Service Group abbreviated SSGN or simply Navy seals, is the special operations force tasked with the conducting the small-unit based military operations in all environmental formats of the sea, air, and land by adoptin ...
(SSG (N)), carried out the counter-attack, which was the largest operation led by SSG (N).
Motive for the attack
The Pakistan Navy noted al-Qaeda members within its ranks. Raids were carried out and certain members were arrested by the Naval Intelligence. The talks that ensued between the Navy and the al-Qaeda did not succeed, since the Navy did not release the arrested members. Warnings were issued and after the
death of Osama bin Laden
On May 2, 2011, Osama bin Laden, the founder and first leader of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was shot several times and killed at his compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, by United States Navy SEALs of the U.S. Nava ...
, the al-Qaeda attacked the naval base.
TTP preparation against the Navy
A month prior to the attack on PNNaval Base Mehran, the Pakistan Navy was twice targeted for bombings in various locations of Karachi by unknown perpetrators. The first of the bombings took place on 21 April 2011 on two naval buses and the second attack happened on 28 April 2011 on a naval coaster. An estimated 12 lives (all of them were medical staff and naval officers) including one lady naval officer, were lost since the start of the bombing. Prior to the attacks, Naval intelligence was twice alerted by the TTP's attack on Pakistan naval facilities in Karachi.
Raid
The attack took place on the evening of 22 May at around 20:30 (17:30 GMT) when a 15-man TTP force stormed the three hangars housing aircraft at the Mehran naval aviation base. The militants had cut the barbed wire fence at a place on the perimeter fence where they could not be detected by security cameras, and they were wearing black clothes. The militants first attacked the aircraft parked on the tarmac and the equipment in nearby hangars. They used
rocket-propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is a shoulder-fired missile weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, and are frequently used as anti-tank weapons. These warheads are a ...
s to damage and destroy several warplanes and premiere anti-submarine and marine surveillance aircraft – the US-made
P-3C Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop Anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed Corporation, Lockh ...
. Several multimillion-dollar aircraft were set ablaze.
According to Naval Intelligence, the militants entered the naval base from the airfield of Faisal Air Force Base, near Mehran Naval Base. The militants then entered nearby buildings and opened fire indiscriminately, killing several naval personnel, and afterwards carried their raid into the heart of the base. According to the intelligence reports, the militants were not Taliban, judging from their abilities and training.
Combat
Following the attack, the teams of SSG (N) arrived at the scene of shooting from their headquarters. At 05:00 hours, after the 6 hours after the assault had begun, the counter operation was started. By the time SSG (N) arrived, the attackers had taken position on the roof of an adjacent two-storey building used by Pakistan Navy for pre-and post-flight briefings and debriefings. Prime Minister Gillani personally monitored this operation,
Chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC), ( ur, ); is an administrative body of senior high-ranking uniformed military leaders of the unified Pakistan Armed Forces who advises the civilian Government of Pakistan, National Security Council, D ...
, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, and Chief of Naval Staff stayed in direct contact with Prime Minister Gillani. The core objectives of the mission were issued to SSG (N) teams. The main priority of mission was to recover and evacuate the foreign military advisers from the scene of shooting. The second objective was to either kill or apprehend the militants. The third and final objective was issued by the Naval Intelligence, in which the SSG (N) were instructed to recover the bodies of militants to prevent further
mutilation
Mutilation or maiming (from the Latin: ''mutilus'') refers to severe damage to the body that has a ruinous effect on an individual's quality of life. It can also refer to alterations that render something inferior, ugly, dysfunctional, or imper ...
, in order to carry out the investigations. The complex, which the foreign advisers were held in, has a crew room, a
lounge
Lounge may refer to:
Architecture
* Lounge, the living room of a dwelling
* Lounge, a public waiting area in a hotel's lobby
* Lounge, a style of commercial alcohol- bar
* Airport lounge, or train lounge (e.g., AMTRAK's Acela Lounge), a premium ...
, a briefing room and a leisure room and small offices. The gang-leader, however, stayed in front of the building, taking a position on the ground. As the teams engaged, the leader went inside the building. A sniper on the rooftop began firing rounds at the SSG (N) teams, taking out men with the help of
night vision equipment
A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The dev ...
. The militant sniper also killed three naval firefighters and two Rangers, who were providing cover for naval firefighters, who were trying to get control of a fire on a P3C-Orion aircraft. The SSG (N) teams quickly targeted the sniper. The sniper was shot in the head and fell on the ground from the top of the complex. According to Naval Intelligence, the militants were only targeting the aircraft and its crew who were unarmed, mostly pilots and officers. The SSG (N) teams provided the cover to the crew in a heavy exchange of fire while the crew took the aircraft to a safe place. The SSG (N) teams had pushed and forced the militants into retaliation, after SSG (N) took aggressive counter measure. The militants ran and hid in a complex near the airport.
After cordoning off the building and giving the warning to the terrorists to surrender, three SSG (N) personnel and two sailors tried to enter the building from the front door in a bid to engage the leader. A heavy exchange of fire ensued. The SSG (N) teams then entered the building to search for the rest of the attackers. The SSG (N) teams inside engaged in a room-to-room battle with two assailants equipped with AK-47s and hand-grenades. One of the attackers was shot in the head and killed instantly, which preventing him from blowing himself up. The other attacker was also hit, but he succeeded in blowing himself up. He had 17 bullet hits.
It was reported that five Pakistan military personnel were killed and eleven wounded. The dead included one sailor, three firefighters and an Army ranger. The first SSG (N) team, under Lieutenant Abbase, entered the first floor of the complex, where Abbase's team first secured and evacuated the 17 foreign military advisers and technicians who were providing training to the Pakistan Navy's officials. The Navy reported that the SSG (N) teams successfully evacuated 11
PLA Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Peo ...
technicians and six
USN
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
military advisers, along with securing the other aircraft from further damage. The SSG (N) teams evacuated the foreign advisers from the back of the complex. The Sea King, belonging to No. 111th Naval Squadron of Special Operations Command, took off to an unknown location from the scene carrying the foreign military advisers and other naval officers, including a Rear-Admiral who was reportedly seen engaged with the militants in the complex. During this course, none of the foreign advisers, technicians, hostages, or even the SSG (N) members were killed. After achieving the first core objectives, the SSG (N) teams made a contact with four militants on the first floor who came to learn about the foreign advisers. In a 15-minute-long battle, all of the four militants were disarmed and apprehended by the SSG (N). At 07:00 hrs, more than 30 SSG (N) teams entered and penetrated into the base. As the teams progressed, eight heavy explosions were heard inside the base in the space of 30 minutes. At 7:30 hrs, the TTP claimed the responsibility of the attack. Reuters quoted the words of Ehsanullah Ehsan (the spokesperson of TTP) by telephone from an undisclosed location, "It was the revenge of martyrdom of Osama bin Laden. It was the proof that we are still united and powerful". At 10:00 hrs, the militants took control of the
air traffic control tower
Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airsp ...
but had not taken any hostages; the staff had escaped prior to the militants' seizing of the tower. The SSG (N) then entered one by one to take control over the tower, and after a two-hour-long battle, the SSG (N) took control of the tower with five wounded militants in custody. At 12:00 hrs, the Navy reported that the death toll of its officers has risen to 12, of which eleven were members of the Navy, one an Army Ranger. At 13:00 hrs, when the operation officially ended, 18 sailors were reported to have been killed and 16 others wounded. In all, it took approximately 16 hours to secure the base.
Responsibility
The
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
The Pakistani Taliban (), formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (Urdu/ ps, , lit=Student Movement of Pakistan, TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani bo ...
(TTP) publicly claimed the responsibility of the attack. Reuters quoted the words of Ehsanullah Ehsan, the spokesperson of TTP, by telephone from an undisclosed location, "It was the revenge of martyrdom of Osama bin Laden. It was the proof that we are still united and powerful,".
Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
(retired)
Hamid Gul
Lieutenant General Hamid Gul ( ur, ; 20 November 1936 – 15 August 2015) was a three-star rank army general in the Pakistan Army and defence analyst. Gul was notable for serving as the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligenc ...
, former director-general of the ISI, rejected the TTP claim. Gul blamed the United States for this incident as Gul told the
Channel 4 News
''Channel 4 News'' is the main news programme on British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since Channel 4's launch in November 1982.
Current productions
''Channel 4 News''
''Channel 4 News'' ...
that there is absolutely no doubt that this was a U.S. operation. However, Gul did not provide any evidence for his claim. Later Channel 4 News contacted the U.S. Department of State but they did not respond to the request. According to media reports, three of the assailants were
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks ( uz, , , , ) are a Turkic ethnic group native to the wider Central Asian region, being among the largest Turkic ethnic group in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, next to Kazakh and Karakalpak mino ...
, and they were commanded by a Pakistani national.
On 25 May, senior Naval Intelligence officials told The ''News International'' that
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
for carrying out the raid. Officials also asserted that an external force was behind for such attack, and the main objective of such raid was to destroy the P3-C Orion aircraft. Officials at Naval Intelligence also believed that a group of al-Qaeda and TTP had been trained in Afghanistan by an anti-Pakistan force to carry out such operations against the state.
Prior to his disappearance and murder, journalist
Syed Saleem Shahzad
Syed Saleem Shahzad ( ur, , 3 November 1970 – 30 May 2011) was a Pakistani investigative journalist who wrote widely for leading European and Asian media. He served as the Pakistan Bureau Chief of Asia Times Online (Hong Kong) and Italian new ...
wrote in the
Asia Times Online
''Asia Times'' (), formerly known as ''Asia Times Online'', is a Hong Kong-based English language news media publishing group, covering politics, economics, business and culture from an Asian perspective. ''Asia Times'' publishes in English and ...
that al-Qaeda carried out the attack after negotiations with the Navy for the release of officials, suspected of al-Qaeda links, had failed. According to Shahzad, the attackers were all from Ilyas Kashmiri's 313 Brigade of al-Qaeda.
''The News International'' reported in December 2011 that the TTP-associated Punjabi Taliban had been involved in the attack. According to the wife of Qari Faisal, a slain leader of the Punjabi Taliban, the group had provided the militants with food and logistical support. She also claimed that the militants had been of foreign origin.
Investigation
The Naval Intelligence of Pakistan launched a formal investigation into the PNS Mehran attack, with an investigation team which will be headed by a two-star
rear admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
, and officials from the Naval Intelligence. According to Interior Ministry officials the investigation team includes officers from Air Intelligence (
Pakistan Air Force
, "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional)
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = ...
),
FIA
FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used.
Fia or FIA may also refer to: People
* Fia Backst ...
, and Army Rangers officers. A senior officer of the Interior Ministry's Crisis Management Cell has said that the PNS Mehran attack has caused Pakistan a loss of 6.47 billion Rupees.
GEO News
Geo News is a Rank Number 1 Pakistani news channel owned by the Jang Media Group.
History
The Geo Television Network started out with the launch of its flagship channel Geo TV in October 2002 but has since launched several other channels whic ...
also reported that severe contradictions have emerged following the attack on PNS Mehran. The differences found in the statements of Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Chief of Naval Staff and the
FIR
Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family (biology), family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North America, North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The ...
lodged by the Navy have complicated the matter. Lieutenant Irfan Asghar (who was on night duty when the base was attacked) reported that 10–12 terrorists had attacked the base. According to the Police, proof had been found that four terrorists were involved in the attack and they were carrying suicide jackets and other explosives.
Pakistan Media reported on 23 May, that the both Naval Intelligence and Interior Minister Rehman Malik are deeply convinced that there was an internal hand that provided the deep information about the base. Naval Intelligence and Naval Police also apprehended suspects from nearby residential areas. The suspects were held at an unknown location by the Naval Police. On 25 May, the Naval Intelligence launched an investigation on Mehran Naval Base's Officer Commanding Commodore Raja Tahir for failing to increase the security of the base. Commodore Tahir has been suspended from the Navy and is under current investigation by Naval Intelligence. The Navy appointed Commodore Khalid Pervaiz as the Base's new Officer Commanding. Furthermore, the Naval Police are also interrogating four naval officials of the Pakistan Navy from Lahore in suspicion of being linked with TTP. All of these officials, who were arrested in February 2011, were
court-martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
ed by the JAG Branch of the Navy. These members are currently facing a death penalty with a 25 years in row. However, the NI is currently interrogating these former naval officials at Central Military Jail of
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...
. According to the Navy, these four naval officials are non-commissioned officers, and none of them were ever stationed in the Mehran Naval base.
According to the News Intelligence Unit of Jang Media Group, the Naval Intelligence (NI) was warned that such an attack would take place, in January 2011. This was revealed when Naval Police arrested a former member of the Pakistan Marines for suspicious activities and aiding the Taliban militants. The Marine commando also revealed that a plan was already made to carry out the raid on PNS Mehran Naval Base, Pakistan Oil refineries, and the naval weapons engineering directorate of the Pakistan Navy. This was done, since SSG (N) and Navy, had both covertly and overtly participated in
Operation Rah-e-Nijat
The Operation Rah-e-Nijat ("Path to Salvation"; ur, آپریشن راہ نجات) was a strategic offensive military operation by the unified command of Pakistan Armed Forces against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and their extremist al ...
and
Operation Black Thunderstorm
Operation Black Thunderstorm was an aggressive military operation that commenced on April 26, 2009 conducted by the Pakistan Army, with the aim of retaking Buner, Lower Dir, Swat and Shangla districts from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan after the m ...
. According to Naval Intelligence, the arrested marine commando is related to the
Mehsud
The Mahsud or Mehsood ( ps, محسود), also spelled Maseed ( ps, ماسيد), is a Karlani Pashtun tribe inhabiting mostly the South Waziristan Agency in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan, now merged within Khyb ...
Tribe of
South Waziristan
South Waziristan District ( ps, سويلي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) was a district in Dera Ismail Khan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before splitting in to Lower South Waziristan District and Upper South Waziristan District and t ...
, a warrior tribe that is leading the
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
The Pakistani Taliban (), formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (Urdu/ ps, , lit=Student Movement of Pakistan, TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani bo ...
against the State of Pakistan. However, the Naval Police and PNS Mehran Officer in Command did not take any preventive measures against the intelligence that was provided by the Naval Intelligence.
On 27 May, the Naval Intelligence apprehended the Qari Qaisar, a close confidant of Mohammed Aqeel, a former Pakistan Army medic who was arrested during
Operation Janbaz
The Pakistan Army General Headquarters attack (Codename: Operation Janbaz; ur, فوجی آپریشن جانباز), was a hostage-rescue mission carried by SSG Division on 10 October 2009, when 10 gunmen in military uniform opened fire on th ...
by the Pakistan Army. Simultaneously, Naval Police also apprehended Ahmed Shahzad from Karachi, and Riaz Chaudhry from Lahore. All of these assailants are linked to TTP and provided logistics to the Taliban.
Consequences
Nuclear alert
Following the attack, Pakistan put its military facilities on high alert. Suspicions also grew in Pakistan about the safety of the country's nuclear assets that may be the Taliban or al-Qaeda's next target. According to the media, Pakistan also tightened the security of its nuclear installations as well as putting them onto high alert. Pakistan's military establishment and civil leadership has been concerned over the attacks on its nuclear facilities, therefore alerting the securities of Pakistan's nuclear assets on a 24-hour alert.
Neighboring
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, where the situation was closely monitored, quickly responded by deploying its naval forces to protect its naval bases, particularly the Mumbai naval base. Jang also reported that India has been concerned with the wave of terror incidents in Pakistan and has also put its military on high alert.
Indian President
The president of India (IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu i ...
Pratibha Patil
Prathibha DeviSingh Patil (born 19 December 1934) is an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the 12th president of India spanning from 2007 to 2012. She is the first woman to become the president of India. A member of the Indian National ...
and Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indir ...
chaired a meeting. Following the meeting, the Prime Minister ordered the tightening of security of Indian nuclear facilities and installations while the Indian Army and the Nuclear Command Authority continued to stay on high alert.
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
also admitted its concern over the Taliban's ability to target the Pakistan's nuclear installations.
Secretary-General
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
Rasmussen
The surname Rasmussen () is a Denmark, Danish and Norway, Norwegian surname, meaning ''Rasmus (given name), Rasmus' son''. It is the ninth-most-common surname in Denmark, shared by about 1.9% of the population.
Reaction
Domestic
* – Prime Minister Gillani, who monitored the operation, condemned the raid and vowed Pakistan would continue to fight against the terror. Gillani also asserted that, there was a need to enhance security measures in the fight against what he termed terrorism. Media reports indicated that Gillani had ordered Pakistan's Armed Forces to upgrade their security measures and take precautionary steps to avoid such incidents in the future.
** Altaf Hussain, President of the MQM, criticised the Pakistani Navy for failing to protect its assets. He condemned the attack saying that the penetration of a sensitive military site is a matter of concern for the whole country. He said the attack was an "open defeat" for Pakistan's Armed Forces.
**
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
Shahbaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi: , ; born 23 September 1951) is a Pakistani politician and businessman who is currently serving as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, in office since 11 April 2022. He is the current president o ...
also condemned the attack, though he criticised the navy for not acting more quickly to protect its billion dollar assets. He told the media at Iqbal International Airport that Pakistan has become a laughing stock in the world for not protecting and fighting the war on terror with any determination.
**
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi language, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime ...
said the incident was not an ordinary act of terrorism and added that the roots of Pakistan were being shattered through terrorism. He also called for a probe into the attack in what he said was the responsibility of anti-Pakistan forces, something his
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) ( ur, , translit=Pākistān Muslim Līg (Nūn) PML(N) or PML-N) is a centre-right and liberal conservative political party in Pakistan. Alongside the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party ...
would not remain silent about as the "Karachi incident should open our eyes." He further added that such incidents were damaging the image of Pakistan to the world. He vowed to eliminate "terrorism" from the country.
**
Nisar Ali Khan
Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan ( ur, ; born 31 July 1954) is a Pakistani politician who served as the Interior Minister from 2013 to 2017. He is currently an independent member-of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab - elected to represent PP-10 (Rawa ...
,
leader of the opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
in the
National Assembly of Pakistan
The National Assembly ( ur, , translit=Aiwān-e-Zairīñ, , or ur, قومی اسمبلی, Romanization, romanized: ''Qaumi Assembly'') is the lower house, lower legislative house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, which al ...
, also called the breach of PNS Mehran a massive security negligence and called for summoning an open meeting of the joint parliamentary standing committee whereby the people responsible for the lapse be identified. Khan also criticised the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral
Noman Bashir
Noman Bashir (Urdu: نعمان بشير) was a Pakistan Navy admiral who served as the 18th Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) from 7 October 2008 until retiring on 7 October 2011.
His appointment as Chief of Naval Staff was approved by President A ...
. During a session of parliament, Nisar said that according to Bashir the incident was not result of a security lapse asking: "Can dmiral Bashirdescribe what constitutes a security lapse?"
;Media
''GEO Television'' Director of News Intelligence Unit (NIU) Kamran Khan also criticised the Navy for not conducting proper investigations on previous attacks. Khan said that the Naval Intelligence unit had failed to investigate the assailants behind the previous attacks, and therefore no security measures had been undertaken to protect its multibillion-dollar assets.
International
* – China supported Pakistan's role in the
War on Terror
The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international Counterterrorism, counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campa ...
. It also praised the SSG (N) for protecting and evacuating of its officers from the course of the attack; while it also rejected claims that militants had held Chinese officials as hostages, though none of its officials were injured or killed.
* – The
government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
expressed concern over wave of terror attacks in Pakistan. Defence Minister A. K. Antony termed PNS Mehran attack a matter of serious concern for India. According to Antony, the developments in Pakistan, especially in Karachi, were a matter of serious concern. Defence Minister also said: "We are closely monitoring and we are taking precautions also. But at the same time, we don t want to overreact."
* – Prime Minister
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
said that NATO allies must work with Pakistan more closely than ever, not turn away. Cameron also said, Their (Pakistani) enemy is our enemy.
* – President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
said that the Taliban are the enemies of Pakistan. U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
condemned the terror attack. Clinton said that no US citizen had been hurt in the incident in Karachi. Clinton also acknowledged that most terrorists had been killed on the Pakistani soil and that the U.S. had conducted operations against the terrorists with Pakistani cooperation. Clinton vowed that the U.S. and Britain would keep aiding Pakistan. US State Department's official
Mark Toner
Mark Christopher Toner (born 1964) is a U.S. Foreign Service Officer and former Spokesperson for the United States Department of State.
Early life and education
Toner was raised in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, graduating from the Salesianum Schoo ...
said that it had been clarified after the attack that Pakistan and US would have to work jointly. He said that the PNS Mehran attack was far more aggressive than the GHQ Rawalpindi attack.
Aftermath
Soon after the attack,
Pakistani media
Mass media in Pakistan ( ur, ) provides information on television, radio, cinema, newspapers, and magazines in Pakistan. Pakistan has a vibrant media landscape; among the most dynamic in South Asia and world. Majority of media in Pakistan is pr ...
began to air news that an Army SSG Division was going to carry out the operation. This was contradicted by Commodore Irfanul Haque, spokesperson of Naval
Inter Services Public Relations
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) ( ur, ), is the media and PR wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It broadcasts and coordinates military news and information to the country's civilian media and the civic society.
The ISPR directo ...
. Commodore Haque confirmed that the SSG (N) are the one who are carrying out the operation. The Prime Minister Secretariat also confirmed the Commodore's statement, and said, Prime Minister Gillani is monitoring this operation. During the entire operation, the Naval SSG or SSG (N) exercised complete command, while the Army Rangers stayed behind the SSG (N) back cordon.
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
's SSG Division also arrived in the course of the shooting and was ready to conduct an operation. However, SSG (N) arrived at the base earlier than the Army's SSG and had been monitoring and planning an operation before the Army took over. Judging from SSG (N)'s ability to conduct operation, Prime Minister Gillani gave a green signal and go-ahead to SSG (N) to conduct the operation, and monitored the operation from Islamabad. Overall, during the operation, the SSG (N) lost three men who were shot by the ring-leader, prior to starting of the operation. Casualties for
Pakistan Marines
The Pakistan Marines (Urdu: ) or simply as Pak Marines, is an Expeditionary warfare, expeditionary and amphibious warfare Pakistan Military, uniform service branch within the Pakistan Navy, consisting of the naval officers and other personnel to p ...
stood at four men while one Ranger was also killed. No Pakistan Army SSG personnel took participation in the operation. The Marines and Army Rangers kept guard at the perimeter of the Naval Base. As against the GHQ attack, where the Zarar Company of the SSG carried out the operation and 25 people, including two senior Army officials, were killed at the hands of eight terrorists in a gun battle that continued for around 20 hours, the naval SSG personnel managed the situation relatively easily.