Gunmen disguised as police guards attacked a terminal at Pakistan's busiest airport Sunday with machine guns and a rocket launcher during a six-hour siege that killed 13 people.
Gunmen disguised as police guards attacked a terminal at Pakistan's busiest airport Sunday with machine guns and a rocket launcher during a six-hour siege that killed 13 people.
The attack on the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi began late on Sunday and continued on into the dawn hours of Monday, although officials said all the passengers had been evacuated.
During the course of the attack, heavy gunfire and multiple explosions could be heard coming from the terminal, used for VIP flights and cargo, as militants and security forces battled for control. A major fire rose from the airport, illuminating the night sky in an orange glow as the silhouettes of jets could be seen.
The deadly operation was carried out by 10 militants, said the Chief Minister of Sindh province, Qaim Ali Shah. All the gunmen were later killed.
The spokesman for the Pakistani military, General Asim Bajwa, said on Twitter that no aircraft were damaged and that as a precautionary measure, security forces were sweeping the airport before operations would be returned to the Civil Aviation Authority and airport police. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
