Army confirms 29 security men died in Taliban attack

It said that attackers, wearing explosives-laden jackets and carrying AK-47 rifles, hand-propelled grenades and mortars, entered the PAF base camp in Peshawar’s Badaber area after storming a guard post.

Taliban militants stormed an air force base in Pakistan’s troubled northwest Friday, setting off an hours-long gun battle that killed 43 people and bolstered fears of rebel capacity to retaliate despite army operations.

“Quick reaction force reached, surrounded, isolated them”, he tweeted.

Security forces were engaged in clearing up operations and were searching for militants who might be hiding in the area.

Peshawar has often been targeted by militants.

This incident has happened in a less than a year after the audacious attack took place after over 150 people, mostly kids, left dead at an army run public school in this capital city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

“Our suicidal unit carried out the attack”, TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani said in an email statement.

He said a Taliban splinter group was behind attack on Badhaber air base. Fourteen of the attackers were killed, CNN reported.

All terrorists were also killed in the encounter with security forces.

“Terrorists entered camp at 2 points and further split in sub groups”.

Violence between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces spread beyond the walls of Jerusalem’s old city on Friday, with at least eight Palestinians shot in clashes in the West Bank and several Israeli policemen injured by firebombs. “Once again we are calling on Pakistan to jointly work with Afghanistan in fighting all terrorist groups honestly so that peace and stability can come to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the region”.

Pakistan has been battling the Pakistani Taliban and its foreign allies since a peace agreement failed and the Taliban launched an attack on Karachi global Airport.

The PM said the armed forces of the county have the full support from the entire nation and that networks of terrorists would soon be eliminated from Pakistan.

During a media briefing in Washington, the US State Department Spokesman Mark Toner said the condemnable and horrific attack was apparently aimed at worshippers, especially the families of Pakistan Air Force officials.