Attack on pakistan naval air station

[denlopviper]

well for the people waiting for AQ to respond to OBLs death. so far there have been 4. one of the 2 major is still going one in karachi.

yesterday evening (22nd May), pakistan naval air station Mehran (N24°52' 15.10" E067°06' 32.66") in karachi came underfire. 15 sailors and soldiers dead as of right now. 2 P-3Cs blown up, 1 damaged along with a number of other types.

as far as i know, there were upto 15 attackers divided in 2 groups. they started by 1 group blowing up a guardroom near the front of the base, then the rest pouring in from the sewer system near the base.


aside from this, on the 13th of May the training center of the Frontier Corps was struck with a twin suicide bombings killing 88 and injuring over a 100 cadets.
Taliban suicide bomber kills 80 at Pakistani Frontier Corps training center - The Long War Journal (http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/05/taliban_suicide_bomb_25.php)

last month in april, an IED blew up a naval bus killing 3 and injuring more than 30.

its just funny how we die for someone else's war

thing to note is that the pakistan navy was not involved in any operations against the terrorists, and the only ones who benefit from destroying P-3Cs are ones who are going to attack from the sea. hmm wonder who that might be.

[wheelsstillturning]

What a mess this once wonderful country has become. It can not all be blamed on the west.

[mmitch]

How appropiate they came out of the sewers.
mmitch.

[Dengue_Dude]

I suppose it might centre around whether or not the P3s were 'equipped' with its 'special weapon'.

The Yanks are paranoid about Pakistan's nuclear weapons - and for once I agree totally with them (doubtless they'll be pleased about that).

I hope this does not end in real tears, it's bad enough now . . .

[Lonewolf_50]

denlop:

I wonder at what regrets former President Musharraf (did I spell that right?) has regarding his lax pursuit of Taliban within his own borders. (Yes, I realize that what he was up against is politically complex).

I hate to tell you, but it isn't "somebody else's war." Y'all have been involved since the Muj were fighting the Sovs in Afghanistan, like it or not.

[reynoldsno1]

The Pakistani military should be employing these guys ....:oh:

[500N]

Humiliation deepens for Pakistan military

May 24, 2011 - 1:14PM

A siege on a big naval base in the heart of Pakistan's biggest city that took 17 hours to quell heaps humiliation on a military still reeling from the fallout over Osama bin Laden, experts say.
Up to six Taliban fighters, armed with rocket-propelled grenades, explosives and automatic rifles, crept under cover of darkness to place ladders against the walls of the Mehran base in Karachi and climbed over barbed wire to enter.
They managed to destroy two P-3C Orion aircraft, costing an estimated $US36 million ($A34 million), which had only been delivered by the US a year ago.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not a good look for Pakistan. Should be an interesting exercise for the US picking up the bits and pieces of the P-3C's for shipment back to the US


They also think 2 of them may have escaped as well.

"When Interior Minister Rehman Malik declared the attack over, he conceded that none of those responsible had been captured. Even worse, he admitted, two may have escaped. He said he had been advised not to address the media at the gates of the base because of fears that suicide bombers might still be lurking in the bushes."
Don't they know how to search and clear ? I hope that is a joke. Somehow, I think it is not.

[Whenurhappy]

This is a clear change in 'A-Q' tactics - much more sophisiticated and targetted at key points - rather than, say, a truck full of easily-replacable soldiers.

It's not only the US that are acutely concerned about PK special weapons. It wasn't until a stand-off between India and Pakistan in early 2001n that it was discovered that Pakistan lacked a '2 key' system for control of their deterrent. With UK assistance, a system was quietly installed...if it were a Tom Clancy 'film' there'd be the red LED clock counting down in the background as Jack Ryan rewired their C2 system!

[stubby1]

As you sow ... So you reap:=

[500N]

"This is a clear change in 'A-Q' tactics - much more sophisiticated and targetted at key points - rather than, say, a truck full of easily-replacable soldiers."

Agreed,

4th time in a short space of time..

[Wannabe Flyer]

My opinion there is a vacuum of leadership and the Taliban and AQ are fighting a turf war in Pakistan post OBL (figurehead).

The recent spate of attacks by the Tali and the threat of attack in London by AQ as well as rumors of the one eyed bandit being dead are classical signs of turf war to see which group and which leader will emerge stronger. The weakest link (Pakistan) in this entire fight will be turned into a battle ground.

Zarquawi, Mullah and the new Egyptian turd will struggle to emerge leader of the rest of the fanatics that are waiting for guidance.

In the end hope they fry each other and leave some semblance of a country behind

[Tourist]

Do you mean "turf" war?

[TBM-Legend]

well it still leaves the Pakis with a bigger maritime patrol fleet than their old "mother country"...:sad:

[jamesdevice]

Some interesting background here Asia Times Online (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/ME27Df06.html) which suggests the attack was a response the arrest of Al-Queda sympathisers/infiltrators within the Pakistan Navy
It should have been the first of two articles - but the second seems not to have appeared. The author has since been murdered - some claim by the Pakistani Security Forces
heres the report of his death Missing Pakistani journalist found dead (http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/05/31/idINIndia-57404620110531)

Begs the question: have they infiltrated far enough to be able to pinch a ship? Or an Orion?