Attack on PNS Mehran Base - PAF Faisal Base

[hembo]

Navy base attackers seem to be Central Asians: Pakistani daily

Islamabad, June 20 (IANS) The four men who attacked the karachi naval base in May were foreigners, possibly of Central Asian origin, a Pakistani paper said Monday, adding the authorities must probe and lay threadbare the conspiracy and not give it up for lack of leads.

The attack also indicated gaps in security at PNS Mehran base base, which should have been tightened following similar attacks on other armed force establishments by terrorists, the Urdu daily Jang said in an editorial.

"According to police sources, the DNA and forensic reports of the four attackers indicate they were not Pakistani nationals and seem to hail from a Central Asian country like Tajikistan, Turkmenistan or Kazakhstan. They were also related to one another," the editorial said.

Citing the initial probe report, the editorial said it was clear that the attackers were not Pakistani as the Nadra (National Database and Registration Authority) has no records of them.

It said police sources revealed that the forensic data was sent to the Americans, but they also did not have any records on the four men.

The paper said the report seemed to suggest that the lack of leads into the identity of the attackers could slow down efforts to unravel the conspiracy, and the probe would soon taper off.

"When it is necessary to bring out the conspiracy behind the attack and identify the masterminds, the initial report seems to indicate that the reasons and intent behind the attacks may never be known and the incident also remain unsolved like previous such outrages," it said.

"This would be breaking faith with the armed forces who have borne the brunt as well as the people of Pakistan," it said.

The 15-hour siege that began on the night of May 22 at the base led to the death of 14 people, including four terrorists. The terrorists also destroyed the navy's two P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft with rockets.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

[S.M.R]

PNS Mehran probe: Ex-Navy commando, brother found innocent, released

LAHORE:
A former commando of the Pakistan Navy and his brother, who were earlier picked up for interrogation from Lahore in connection with the PNS Mehran attack, have been released after being declared innocent.
Sources said that intelligence agencies had detained Kamran Ahmed Malik along with his brother Zaman Malik from the Abdullah Engineering Workshop, which the brothers had rented, on May 27 – five days after the attack occurred in Karachi.
The brothers were released after no evidence was found against them.
Qamaruddin, the brothers’ uncle, confirmed their release and said that at the moment they were not talking about the incident.
He said that at 10 am on May 27, three vehicles carrying 10 people in civilian attire stormed Kamran’s shop.
He added that one person of the raiding party was in a police uniform, while some were armed with weapons.
Qamaruddin said that the team picked up Kamran and two visitors from the workshop and Zaman from a place nearby.
Sources said that Kamran was court-martialled 10 years ago for assaulting a senior officer. He was subsequently admitted to the Combined Military Hospital and upon release, went on to work as a seller of prize bonds. During his service, Kamran had worked at the PNS Mehran and PNS Iqbal naval bases.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2011.

 

[Last Hope]

Pakistan Navy has found clues into the involvement of internal elements into the terrorists attack on Pakistan Naval Station (PNS) Mehran. Navy officials on Wednesday gave in-camera briefing to the National’ Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defence meeting chaired by its head Azra Afzal. According to media reports the navy authorities have found clues that suggest the terrorists had internal support to launch the attack. The navy officials apprised the NA body about the investigation being carried out into terrorists’ attack on PNS Mehran on May 22 that led to killing of 10 officials and destruction of two US-supplied PC-3 Orian aircraft.

 

[muse]

The navy has finally seen sense (been made to see sense) - it was painfully obvious that the attack was a inside job -- in our threads on the Strategic and Army boards we have argued for the need for reform and a new security paradigm -- we understand that while the old paradigm (India and Jihad) are still persuasive to many, a sense that Islamist infiltration, and here I am not referring to HT but to JI, has become a security threat of unrivaled proportions for the Pakistan armed forces, has made significant gains.

 

[sur]

 

[VCheng]

An important update on this thread:

from: Three officials face court-martial over PNS Mehran base attack | DAWN.COM

KARACHI: Officials of Pakistan Navy on Monday recommended court-martial for three officers allegedly involved in May 22, 2011 attack on PNS Mehran base in Karachi, DawnNews reported.

An investigation committee was constituted after the attack, which after probing for months has recommended to court-martial Base Commander Raja Tahir, Commander of Mehran Base Israr and Lt-Commander Mohammad Absar.

However, the final decision will be taken by the Navy chief and other high ranked officials after going through details of the committee’s recommendation.

The committee has also recommended stringent security measures at all bases including Mehran air base.

On May 22, 2011, armed militants stormed into the naval airbase and destroyed three aircraft and killed six military officials. Five militants were also killed during the operation, which was launched by the security forces to liberate the base which was held by the militants for more than 15 hours.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

as the investigation is ongoing, we should expect more soon. .


it was a sad day, but also an educational one......NEVER AGAIN must such a gross breach take place. Those responsible (the ones that are still alive) will get what's coming to them.

 

[Aragorn]

Pakistan Navy court-martials officers after attack

ISLAMABAD -- A Pakistan navy spokesman says the force has court-martialed three of its officers for "negligence" in connection with a dramatic Taliban attack on a naval base in the southern port city of Karachi last year.

The brazen, 18-hour assault on Naval Station Mehran last May destroyed two U.S.-supplied surveillance aircraft and killed 10 people on the base.

The ability of the militants to penetrate the high-security base led to speculation they may have had inside information or assistance.

Commodore Irfanul Haq told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the three naval officers were punished for their performance, but there was no evidence they were linked to the militants or helped them attack the base. He declined to identify the names or ranks of the officers.

Pakistan Navy court-martials officers after attack - World Wires - MiamiHerald.com

 

[Abingdonboy]

^^^ fair enough- those in the wrong are getting what they deserve. What is worrying though is that this type of inside job would require th involvment of many more than have been arrested/charged so are they getting away Scott free!!

 

[Reichsmarschall]

hand on heart ....
Do you think Pakistan's weapons are safe ?

yes they are much safe than yours