Pakistani troops hunt militants on naval base

[May 23, 2011]  KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistani commandos were close to regaining control of a naval base Monday as they hunted for any last holdouts among a team of Taliban militants who attacked and occupied the facility for 15 hours, destroying two U.S.-supplied planes and killing 12 security officers.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault in the city of Karachi, which was a humiliating and costly blow to the army. The militants said it was revenge for the May 2 American raid that killed al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden and the insurgents were under orders to fight until the death.

"They do not want to come out alive, they have gone there to embrace martyrdom," said spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan.

Between 10 and 15 insurgents armed with grenades, rockets and automatic weapons stormed Naval Station Mehran late Sunday before splitting into smaller groups, setting off explosions and hiding in the sprawling facility. Six Americans on the base at the time of the attack escaped unharmed, the U.S. Embassy said.

The raid was one of the most audacious in years of militant violence in Pakistan. The insurgent's ability to penetrate the high-security facility rattled a military establishment already embarrassed by the unilateral American raid on bin Laden, and raised the possibility they had inside help.

It will also likely lead to more questions over the safety of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. In 2009, Islamist terrorists stormed army headquarters close to the capital, holding hostages for 22 hours. But unlike the attack Sunday in Karachi, the attackers then failed to deeply penetrate the complex.

By Monday afternoon, navy spokesman Salman Ali said that "apparently there is no more militant resistance." He said commandos would not announce an end to the operation until all the buildings in the sprawling complex had been searched.

At least 11 navy personnel and one paramilitary ranger were killed, while 14 security forces were wounded, said another navy spokesman, Irfan ul Haq. It was unclear how many militant casualties there were, he added.

The attack resembled the 2008 siege of Mumbai, India, and a number of other similar raids in Pakistan in which heavily armed squads of insurgents go out in teams, occupy a property and fight to the death. It was one of the first such strikes in Karachi, the country's largest city and economic hub.

Haq earlier denied reports the militants had taken hostages and said by Monday morning they were confined to an office building, trading fire with commandos. Navy helicopters were flying over the base, and snipers were seen on a runway control tower.

"Because of the presence of several assets on the base, the operation is being carried out in a cautious, smart way," Haq said, referring to military aircraft. "That's why it's taking so long."

The unilateral U.S. raid on bin Laden's compound in the northwest Pakistani garrison city of Abbottabad has triggered a strong backlash here against Washington, as well as rare domestic criticism of the armed forces for failing to detect or prevent the American operation. Pakistani leaders insist they had no idea the al-Qaida boss had been hiding in Abbottabad.

This is the third major attack the group has claimed since the bin Laden killing. The others were a car bombing that slightly injured American consulate workers in the northwest city of Peshawar and a twin-suicide attack that killed around 90 Pakistani paramilitary police recruits.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the attack, saying such a "cowardly act of terror could not deter the commitment of the government and people of Pakistan to fight terrorism."

The raid began with at least three loud explosions, which were heard by people who live around the naval air station.

It was unclear what caused the explosions, but they set off raging fires that could be seen from far in the distance. An Associated Press reporting team outside the base heard at least six other explosions and sporadic gunfire.

Authorities sent in several dozen navy and police commandos to battle the attackers, who responded with gunfire and grenades, said navy spokesman Ali. At least two P-3C Orions, maritime surveillance aircraft given to Pakistan by the U.S., were destroyed, he said. The U.S. Navy puts the cost of the planes at $36 million each.

The United States handed over two Orions to the Pakistani navy at a ceremony at the base in June 2010 attended by 250 Pakistani and American officials, according to the website of the U.S. Central Command. It said by late 2012, Pakistan would have eight of the planes.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Alberto Rodriguez said six American contractors were on the base during the time of the attack, but all were safe. Rodriguez had previously said there were no Americans working on the base, but later called the AP with the new information. He said the Americans, while working as contractors, did not report to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Karachi, a city of around 18 million people, has not been spared the violence sweeping the country, despite being in the south and far from the northwest where militancy is at its strongest. In April, militants bombed three buses taking navy employees to work, killing at least nine people.

The Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups have little direct public support, but the army and the government have struggled to convince the people of the need for armed operations against them. The militants' identification with Islam, strong anti-American rhetoric and support for insurgents in Afghanistan resonates with some in the country.

[Associated Press; By ADIL JAWAD]

Associated Press writers Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar contributed to this report.

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