War live and in real-time: Pakistani general tweets defence of Badaber air base
Sajjad Mali
Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa.
Photo: Twitter/AsimBajwaISPR
slamabad: At least 13 militants have been killed so far in clashes with security forces when they attacked a Pakistani air force base in the troubled north-west, the military said.
The militants attacked Badaber air base in the suburbs of Peshawar city in the early morning, army spokesman Major-General Asim Saleem Bajwa said.
General Bajwa took to Twitter to provide a running update on the battle, starting with "...Quick reaction force reached,surrounded, isolated them.Fire exch continues- 1", then updating every few minutes, including posting unpublishable pictures of carnage.
Soon "Peshawar" was trending on Twitter.
2:45 AM - 18 Sep 2015 · Details
AsimBajwaISPR @AsimBajwaISPR 47m47 minutes ago
Update:Army Chief &Air Chief together visit Badaber
http://Camp.Meet PAF,Army,police troops who,defeated attk&killed all terrorists-12
"Thirteen terrorists killed so far," he said at time of writing. Ten soldiers were injured in the clash including two officers, he tweeted earlier.
"Thirteen terrorists killed so far," he said at time of writing. Ten soldiers were injured in the clash including two officers, he tweeted earlie
simBajwaISPR @AsimBajwaISPR
Were contained within a close area.Meanwhile a gp rushed to mosque,martyred 16 Namazi offering prayers.Were surrounded,13 killed,continues-9
8:31 AM - 18 Sep 2015
Soon later, he tweeted a photo of Captain Asfandyar, declaring he had "embraced shahadat" [martyrdom].
Rescue sources said that they shifted about two dozen injured to different hospitals.
General Bajwa said clearance operations were still going on.
The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying they killed "50 security men". Spokesman Muhammad Khurasani said women and children were given safe exit.
Peshawar city police chief Mubarik Zeb told media that the militants may have launched the attack from the Khyber tribal region that is adjacent to Badaber.
It was the first major attack on a security force compound since the Taliban stormed an army-run school in Peshawar in December, killing about 150 people including 136 students.
The attack calls into doubt claims by the civilian government and the army of having "broken the back of militants" in the country.
It also raises questions marks about the gains of military offensives in the tribal regions launched in June last year to eliminate militants.
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War live and in real-time: Pakistani general tweets defence of Badaber air base