Taliban admits deadly attack on airport

Gunmen disguised as police guards stormed the international terminal in Karachi, set off explosions and killed 18 people.

The Taliban said the assault on the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, was in revenge for the killing last November of the militant group’s leader in a US drone strike.

The claim further diminished prospects for a resumption of government-led peace talks with the Taliban. Those talks floundered in recent weeks and the Taliban have called off a ceasefire they declared during negotiations. Since then, Pakistani troops have carried out airstrikes in the country’s troubled north west to target militant hideouts, killing dozens of suspected militants. Residents claim several civilians were also killed in the strikes.

The Karachi assault started late on Sunday when 10 gunmen, at least some disguised as policemen, opened fire with machine-guns and rocket launchers, triggering a gun battle with police during which all the attackers were killed, said Rizwan Akhtar, the chief of Pakistan’s elite paramilitary rangers.

Heavy gunfire and multiple explosions were heard coming from the terminal, used for VIP flights and cargo, as militants and security forces battled for control.

A major fire rose from the airport, illuminating the night sky in an orange glow as the silhouettes of jets could be seen. As dawn broke, smoke could still be seen billowing in the air.

Authorities diverted incoming flights and suspended all flight operations.

An Emirates flight in Karachi bound for Dubai had to be cancelled and passengers were escorted off the plane because of the fighting.

“The passengers and crew disembarked the aircraft and were taken to a secure area of the terminal,” the Dubai-based carrier said. It did not say how many passengers were onboard.

The airline is by far the Middle East’s biggest and operates multiple daily flights to Karachi and other Pakistani cities. It said the airport’s closure would continue to affect other flights into Karachi. Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, said it was delaying its own flights to Karachi and would monitor the situation.

Mr Akhtar said no planes were damaged during the attack but a cargo building was badly damaged by the fire and the explosions.

Just before dawn, Pakistani security forces regained full control of the airport. Mr Akhtar said some of the attackers appeared to be Uzbeks but officials were still investigating to determine their identity and nationality.

“The terrorists entered the terminal in two groups. They were foreigners, and some of them seemed to be Uzbeks,” Mr Akthar said.

The Civil Aviation Authority said security forces had given them back control of the airport.

Dr Seemi Jamali, from Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital, said 18 bodies were brought to the mortuary, and 11 of them were of airport security personnel. The bodies of the attackers remained in police custody.

At least some of the gunmen wore the uniform of the Airport Security Force.