PNS Mehran attack
Encyclopedia
The PNS Mehran attack was a Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , alternatively referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, is an umbrella organization of various Islamist militant groups based in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghan border in Pakistan. Most, but not all, Pakistani Taliban groups coalesce under the TTP...

 (TTP) attack/shooting that took place on 22 May 2011, at PNS Mehran, the headquarter of the Pakistan Navy
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...

's Naval Air Arm
Pakistan Naval Air Arm
The Pakistan Naval Air Arm is the naval aviation branch of the Pakistan Navy.The Naval Air Arm is tasked to carry out air surveillance, limited aerial warfare, and reconnaissance operations...

 and the most populous Pakistani military installation, located near the PAF
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...

's Faisal Air Force Base of Karachi, Sindh. In the course of the event, 15 attackers killed 18 military personnel and wounded 16 in a sophisticated terrorist attack.

According to the United States and Western intelligence sources, the attack was far more dangerous than the 2009 Pakistan Army General Headquarters
2009 Pakistan Army General Headquarters attack
The Pakistan Army General Headquarters attack , was a hostage-rescue mission carried by SSG Division during which, on 10 October 2009, when 10 gunmen in military uniform opened fire on the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan...

 attack, and was better planned and more rehearsed than the previous attacks. It was the biggest attack on the Navy and its assets since 1971, and is believed to be the last major attack of militant mastermind Ilyas Kashmiri. The Special Service Group Navy
Special Service Group Navy
The Special Service Group Navy, codename SSG, are the Pakistan Navy's elite principal special operations naval force component. Together with the PAF 312th SS Wing, Special Service Group, Pakistan Marines, and Rangers, they form Pakistan Special Operations Command under the joint administrative...

 (SSG(N)), carried out the counter-attack, which was the largest operation led by SSG(N) since Operation Jackpot
Operation Jackpot
For the 1983–1986 South Carolina drug investigation see Operation Jackpot Operation Jackpot was the codename assigned to several different operations during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The original "Operation Jackpot" was the logistical and training operation set up under the Indian Army...

 of 1971.

Motive for the attack

The Pakistan Navy noted Al-Qaeda members within its ranks. Raids were carried out and certain of the members were arrested by the Naval Intelligence. The talks that ensued between the Navy and the Al-Qaeda did not succeed, since the Navy did not release the arrested members. Warnings were issued and after the death of Osama bin Laden
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....

, the Al-Qaeda attacked the Naval base.

TTP preparation against Navy

A month prior to the attack on PN
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...

 Naval Base Mehran, the Pakistan Navy was twice targeted for bombings in various locations of Karachi by unknown perpetrators. The first of the bombings took place on 21 April 2011 on two naval buses and the second attack happened on 28 April 2011 on a naval coaster. An estimated 12 lives (all of them were medical staff and naval officers) including one lady naval officer, have been lost since the start of the bombing. Prior to the attacks, the Naval intelligence was twice alerted by the TTP's attack on Pakistan Naval facilities in Karachi.

Raid

The attack took place on the evening of 22 May at around 20:30 pm (1730 GMT) when a 15-man TTP force stormed the three hangars housing aircraft at the Mehran naval aviation base. The militants had cut the barbed wire at a place on the perimeter fence where they could not be detected by security cameras, and they were wearing black clothes. The militants first attacked the aircraft parked on the tarmac and the equipment in nearby hangars. They used rocket-propelled grenades to damage and destroy several warplanes and premiere anti-submarine and marine surveillance aircraft – the US-made P-3C Orion. Several multi-million dollar aircraft were set ablaze.

According to the Naval Intelligence, the militants entered the naval base from the airfield of the Faisal Air Force Base, near the Mehran Naval Base. The militants then entered nearby buildings and opened fire indiscriminately, killing several naval personnel, and afterwards carried their raid into the heart of the base. According to the intelligence reports, the militants were not Taliban, judging from their abilities and training.

Combat

Following the attack, the teams of SSG(N)
Special Service Group Navy
The Special Service Group Navy, codename SSG, are the Pakistan Navy's elite principal special operations naval force component. Together with the PAF 312th SS Wing, Special Service Group, Pakistan Marines, and Rangers, they form Pakistan Special Operations Command under the joint administrative...

 arrived at the scene of shooting from Qasim Naval Base
PNS Qasim
The Pakistan Naval Station Qasim, or PNS Qasim, is the major naval special operations base for the Amphibious Special Operations Forces in the Pakistan Navy. PNS Qasim, the garrison of Pakistan Marines, is served as the logistic base for the Marines which is responsible for general administration...

 . At 05:00 hours, after the 6 hours after the assault had begun, the counter operation was started. By the time SSG(N) arrived, the attackers had taken position on the roof of an adjacent two-storey building used by Pakistan Navy for pre-and post-flight briefings and debriefings. Prime minister Gillani
Yousaf Raza Gillani
Yousuf Raza Gilani is the current prime minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He was nominated as Prime Minister by the PPP, with the support of its coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim League , Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Muttahida Qaumi Movement, on 22 March 2008...

 personally monitored this operation, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff
Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)
The Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, abbreviated as CAS, is typically the highest ranking 4-star rank officer in the Pakistan Air Force, unless a four-star officer is appointed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The CAS is a senior and permanent member of the...

, and Chief of Naval Staff
Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)
The Chief of the Naval Staff, abbreviated as CNS, is the highest ranking officer in the Pakistani Navy unless a 4-star naval officer is appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The current Chief of the Naval Staff is Admiral Asif Sandila who commands the Navy. The CNS reports...

 stayed in direct contact with Prime minister Gillani. The core objectives of the mission were issued to SSG(N) teams. The main priority of mission was to recover and evacuate the foreign military advisers from the scene of shooting. The second objective was to either kill or apprehend the militants. The third and final objective was issued by the Naval Intelligence, in which the SSG(N) were instructed to recover the bodies of militants to prevent further mutilation, in order to carry out the investigations. The complex, which the foreign advisers were held in, has a crew room, a lounge
Airport lounge
An airport lounge is a lounge owned by a particular airline . Many offer private meeting rooms, phone, fax, wireless and Internet access and other business services, along with provisions to enhance comfort such as free drinks and snacks...

, a briefing room and a leisure room
Leisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...

 and small offices. The gang-leader, however, stayed in front of the building, taking a position on the ground. As the teams engaged, the leader went inside the building. A sniper on the rooftop began firing rounds at the SSG(N) teams, taking out men with the help of night vision capability. The militant sniper also killed 3 naval firefighters and 2 Rangers, who were providing cover for naval firefighters, who were trying to get control of a fire on a P3C-Orion aircraft. The SSG(N) teams quickly targeted the sniper. The sniper was shot in the head and fell on the ground from the top of the complex immediately. According to Naval Intelligence, the militants were only targeting the aircraft and its crew who were unarmed, mostly pilots and officers. The SSG(N) teams provided the cover to the crew in a heavy exchange of fire while the crew took the aircraft in safe place. The SSG(N) teams had pushed and forced the militants into retaliation, after SSG(N) took aggressive counter measure. The militants ran and hid complex near by the airport.

After cordoning off the building and giving the warning to the terrorists to surrender, three SSG(N) personnel and two sailors tried to enter the building from the same front door in a bid to engage the leader. A heavy exchange of fire ensued. The SSG(N) teams then entered the building to search for the rest of the attackers. The SSG(N) teams inside engaged in a room-to-room battle with two assailants equipped with AK-47s and hand-grenades. One of the attackers was shot in the head and fell to the ground,killed instantly, preventing blowing himself up. The other attacker was also hit, but he succeeded in blowing himself up. He had 17 bullet-hits.

It was reported that five Pakistan military personnel were killed and eleven wounded. The dead included one sailor, three firefighters and an Army ranger. The first SSG(N) team, under Lieutenant Abbase, entered the first floor of the complex, where Abbase's team first secured and evacuated the 17 foreign military advisers and technicians who were providing training to the Pakistan Navy's officials. The Navy reported that the SSG(N) teams successfully evacuated 11 PLA Air Force
People's Liberation Army Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...

 technicians and 6 USN
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 military advisers, along with securing the other aircraft from further damage. The SSG(N) teams evacuated the foreign advisers from the back of the complex. The Sea King, belonging to No. 111th Naval Squadron of Special Operations Command, took off to an unknown location from the scene carrying the foreign military advisers and other naval officers, including a Rear-Admiral who was reportedly seen engaged with the militants in the complex During this course, none of the foreign advisers, technicians, hostages, or even the SSG(N) members were killed. After achieving the first core objectives, the SSG(N) teams made a contact with 4 militants on the first floor who came to learn about the foreign advisers. In a 15 minute long battle, all of the 4 militants were disarmed and apprehended by the SSG(N). At 07:00 hrs, more than 30 SSG(N) teams entered and penetrated into the base. As the teams progressed, eight heavy explosions were heard inside the base in the space of 30 minutes. At 7:30 hrs, the TTP claimed the responsibility of the attack. Reuters quoted the words of Ehsanullah Ehsan (the spokesperson of TTP) by telephone from an undisclosed location, "It was the revenge of martyrdom of Osama bin Laden. It was the proof that we are still united and powerful,". At 10:00 hrs, the militants took control of the air traffic control tower but had not taken any hostages; the staff had escaped prior to the militants' seizing of the tower. The SSG(N) then entered one by one to take control over the tower, and after a 2 hour long battle, the SSG(N) took control of the tower with 5 wounded militants in custody. At 12:00 hrs, the Navy reported that the death toll of its officers has risen to 12, of which eleven were members of the Navy, one an Army Ranger. At 13:00 hrs, when the operation officially ended, 18 sailors were reported to have been killed and 16 others wounded. In all, it took approximately 16 hours to secure the base.

Responsibility

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , alternatively referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, is an umbrella organization of various Islamist militant groups based in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghan border in Pakistan. Most, but not all, Pakistani Taliban groups coalesce under the TTP...

 (TTP) publicly claimed the responsibility of the attack. Reuters quoted the words of Ehsanullah Ehsan, the spokesperson of TTP, by telephone from an undisclosed location, "It was the revenge of martyrdom of Osama bin Laden. It was the proof that we are still united and powerful,". Lieutenant-General (retired) Hamid Gul
General Hamid Gul
Lieutenant General Hamid Gul, HI, SBt, is a retired Pakistani Army three-star general who served as the Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence , Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, between 1987 and 1989 during the late stages of and after the Soviet-Afghan War...

— former director-general of the ISI, rejected the TTP claim. Gul blamed United States for this incident as Gul told the Channel 4 News that there is absolutely no doubt that this was a US operation. However, Gul did not provide any evidence for his claim. Later Channel 4 News contacted the U.S. Department of State but they have not yet responded to the request. According to media reports, three of the assailants were Uzbeks, and they were commanded by a Pakistani national.

On 25 May, senior Naval Intelligence officials told News International
The News International
The News International , published in tabloid size, is the largest English language newspaper in Pakistan. The News has an ABC certified circulation of 140,000. It is published from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad...

 that RAW
Research and Analysis Wing
The Research and Analysis Wing is India's external intelligence agency. It was formed in September 1968 after the poor performance of the Intelligence Bureau in the Sino-Indian war of 1962 and the India-Pakistani war of 1965 convinced the then government of India that a specialized, independent...

, CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...

 contractors and anti-Pakistan lobbies had used Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...

 for carrying out the raid. Officials also asserted that an external force[s] was behind for such attack, and the main objective of such raid was to destroy the P3-C Orion aircraft. Officials at Naval Intelligence also believed that a group of Al-Qaeda and TTP had been trained in Afghanistan by an anti-Pakistan force to carry out such operations against the state.

Prior to his disappearance, journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad
Syed Saleem Shahzad
Syed Saleem Shahzad was a Pakistani investigative journalist who wrote widely for leading European and Asian media. He served as the Pakistan Bureau Chief of Asia Times Online and Italian news agency Adnkronos . He was found dead in a canal in North-east Pakistan, showing signs of torture, two...

 wrote in the Asia Times Online
Asia Times Online
Asia Times Online is a bilingual English‒Chinese, Internet-based newspaper covering geopolitics, politics, economics and business "from an Asian perspective"...

 that al-Qaeda carried out the attack after negotiations with the Navy for the release of officials, suspected of al-Qaeda links, had failed. According to Shahzad, the attackers were all from Ilyas Kashmiri's
Ilyas Kashmiri (militant)
Ilyas Kashmiri, also referred to as Maulana Ilyas Kashmiri and Muhammad Ilyas Kashmiri , was a senior al-Qaeda member and leader of the Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami He was also connected with the Soviet-Afghan war, the Kashmir conflict and attacks against India, Pakistan and the United States...

 313 Brigade of al-Qaeda.

Investigation

The Naval Intelligence of Pakistan launched a formal investigation into the PNS Mehran attack, with an investigation team which will be headed by a two-star rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...

, and officials from the Naval Intelligence. According to Interior Ministry officials the investigation team includes officers from Air Intelligence (Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...

), FIA
Federal Investigation Agency
The Federal Investigation Agency is an agency of Pakistan, under the Ministry of Interior, that serves as a federal criminal investigative body with one of the Directorate dealing as Pakistani body of Interpol. It has a wide role in anti-terrorism, anti-fascism, anti-corruption, human smuggling...

, Army Rangers officers. A senior officer of the Interior Ministry’s Crisis Management Cell has said that the PNS Mehran attack has caused Pakistan a loss of 6.47 billion Rupees.

GEO News
GEO News
Geo News is a Karachi-based Pakistani news channel, fully owned and operated by Jang Group. The channel started its broadcasting in November 2005 and has millions of Urdu-language viewers around the world.- Popular Shows :...

 also reported that severe contradictions have emerged following the attack on PNS Mehran. The differences found in the statements of Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Chief of Naval Staff
Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)
The Chief of the Naval Staff, abbreviated as CNS, is the highest ranking officer in the Pakistani Navy unless a 4-star naval officer is appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The current Chief of the Naval Staff is Admiral Asif Sandila who commands the Navy. The CNS reports...

 and the FIR
First Information Report
A First Information Report or FIR is a written document prepared by the police in India, Pakistan and Japan when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence. It is a report of information that reaches the police first in point of time and that is why it is called the First...

 lodged by the Navy have complicated the matter. Lieutenant Irfan Asghar (who was on night duty when the base was attacked) reported that 10–12 terrorists had attacked the base. According to the Police, proof had been found that four terrorists were involved in the attack and they were carrying suicide jackets and other explosives.

Pakistan Media reported on 23 May, that the both Naval Intelligence and Interior Minister Rehman Malik are deeply convinced that there was an internal hand that provided the deep information about the base. Naval Intelligence and Naval Police also apprehended suspects from nearby residential areas. The suspects are being held at an unknown location by the Naval Police. On 25 May, the Naval Intelligence launched an investigation on Mehran Naval Base's Officer Commanding Commodore Raja Tahir for failing to increase the security of the base. Commodore Tahir has been suspended from the Navy, and is under current investigation by Naval Intelligence. The Navy appointed Commodore Khalid Pervaiz as the Base's new Officer Commanding. Furthermore, the Naval Police are also interrogating 4 naval officials of the Pakistan Navy from Lahore in suspicion of being linked with TTP. All of these officials, who were arrested in February 2011, were court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...

ed by the JAG Branch
Judge Advocate General Branch
The Judge Advocate General Branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces is composed of Pakistan's Military senior officers, lawyers and judges who provide legal services to the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines at all levels of command...

 of the Navy. These members are currently facing a death penalty with a 25 years in row. However, the NI is currently interrogating these former naval officials at Central Military Jail of Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...

. According to the Navy, these 4 naval officials are non-commissioned officers, and none of them were ever stationed in the Mehran Naval base.

According to the News Intelligence Unit of Jang Media Group, the Naval Intelligence (NI) was warned that such an attack would take place, in January 2011. This was revealed when Naval Police arrested a former member of the Pakistan Marines for suspicious activities and aiding the Taliban militants. The Marine commando also revealed that a plan was already made to carry out the raid on PNS Mehran Naval Base, Pakistan Oil refineries
Pakistan Oilfields
The Pakistan Oilfields Limited , is a subsidiary of the Attock Group of Companies, was incorporated on November 25, 1950. In 1978, Pakistan Oilfields took over the exploration and production business of Attock Oil Company. Since then, Pakistan Oilfields has been investing independently...

, and the naval weapons engineering directorate of the Pakistan Navy. This was done, since SSG(N) and Navy, had both covertly and overtly participated in Operation Path to Salvation
Operation Rah-e-Nijat
The Operation Rah-e-Nijat was a Pakistani military operation against the Taliban and other Islamist rebels in the South Waziristan area of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas that began on June 19, 2009; a major ground offensive was subsequently launched on October 17...

 and Black Thunderstorm
Operation Black Thunderstorm
Operation Black Thunderstorm was an aggressive military operation that commenced on April 26, 2009 conducted by the Pakistan Army, with the aim of retaking Buner, Lower Dir, Swat and Shangla districts from the Taliban after the militants took control of them since the start of the year.- Background...

. According the Naval Intelligence, the arrested marine commando is related to the Mehsud Tribe of South Waziristan
South Waziristan
South Waziristan is the southern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . Waziristan comprises the area west and southwest of Peshawar between the Tochi River to the north and the Gomal River to the south, forming...

, a warrior tribe that is leading the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , alternatively referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, is an umbrella organization of various Islamist militant groups based in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghan border in Pakistan. Most, but not all, Pakistani Taliban groups coalesce under the TTP...

 against the State of Pakistan. However, the Naval Police and PNS Mehran Officer in Command did not take any preventive measures against the intelligence that was provided by the Naval Intelligence.

On 27 May, the Naval Intelligence apprehended the Qari Qaisar, a close confident of Aqeel
Mohammed Aqeel
Mohammed Aqeel is a Pakistani Islamist militant and member of the banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. Originally from Kahuta Tehsil in Punjab, he worked until 2006 in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps....

. Mohammed Aqeel
Mohammed Aqeel
Mohammed Aqeel is a Pakistani Islamist militant and member of the banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. Originally from Kahuta Tehsil in Punjab, he worked until 2006 in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps....

, a former Pakistan Army medic, was arrested during the Janbaz by the Pakistan Army. Simultaneously, Naval Police also apprehended Ahmed Shahzad from Karachi, and Riaz Chaudhry from Lahore. All of these assailants are linked to TTP and provided logistics to the Taliban.

Nuclear alert

Following the attack, Pakistan put its military facilities on high alert. Suspicions also grew in Pakistan about the safety of the country's nuclear assets that may be the Taliban or al-Qaeda's next target. According to the Media, Pakistan also tightened the security of its nuclear installations as well as putting them onto high alert. Pakistan's military establishment
Establishment (Pakistan)
The Establishment is a term used commonly by Pakistani political scientists and also by political scholars and analysts around the world for the powerful military-dominant oligarchy in Pakistan...

 and civil leadership has been concerned over the attacks on its nuclear facilities, therefore alerting the securities of Pakistan's nuclear assets 24 hour alert. Neighboring India, who closely monitored the situation, also quickly responded by deploying its entire Naval forces to protect its naval bases, particularly the Mumbai Naval Base. Jang also reported that India has been concerned with the wave of terror incidents in Pakistan, and has also put its military on high alert. Indian President
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...

 Pratibha Patil
Pratibha Patil
Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the 12th President of the Republic of India and first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on 25 July 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J...

 and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...

 chaired a meeting following the meeting. Singh ordered the tightening of security of Indian nuclear facilities and installations while the Indian Army and the Nuclear Command Authority
Nuclear Command Authority (India)
The Nuclear Command Authority of India is the nodal agency for all command, control and operational decisions regarding India's nuclear weapon stockpile.- Introduction :...

 continued to stay on high alert.

NATO also admitted its concern over the Taliban's ability to target the Pakistan's nuclear installations. Secretary-General
Secretary General of NATO
The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is the chairman of the North Atlantic Council, the supreme decision-making organisation of the defence alliance. The Secretary-General also serves as the leader of the organisation's staff and as its chief spokesman...

 Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Danish politician, and the 12th and current Secretary General of NATO. Rasmussen served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 27 November 2001 to 5 April 2009....

 expressed concerned over the attack on Pakistan's nuclear facilties, but also showed his confidence that [the nuclear weapons and facilities] are well protected.

Domestic

– Prime Minister Gillani, who monitored the operation, condemned the raid, and vowed Pakistan would continue to fight against the terror. Gillani also asserted that, there was a need to enhance security measures in the fight against what he termed terrorism. Media reports indicated that Gillani had ordered Pakistan's Armed Forces to upgrade their security measures and take precautionary steps to avoid such incidents in future.
    • Altaf Hussain
      Altaf Hussain
      Altaf Hussain is the founder and leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement . The MQM emerged as the third largest political party in the national assembly of Pakistan during 1988 and 1990 elections. The MQM secured representation in the parliamentary elections held in the northern areas of Pakistan...

      , President of the MQM, criticised the Pakistani Navy for failing to protect its assets. He condemned the attack saying that the penetration of a sensitive military site is a matter of concern for the whole country. He said the attack was an "open defeat" for Pakistan's Armed Forces.
    • Chief Minister of Punjab Province Shahbaz Sharif also condemned the attack, though he criticised the navy for not acting more quickly to protect its billion dollar assets. He told the media at Iqbal International Airport
      Allama Iqbal International Airport
      Allama Iqbal International Airport is the second-largest civil airport in Pakistan, serving Lahore, the capital of Punjab province. Originally known as Lahore International Airport, it was renamed in 2003 for Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal, the Islamic poet-philosopher who was a major advocate for the...

       that Pakistan has become a laughing stock in the world for not protecting and fighting the war on terror with any determination.

  • Nawaz Sharif
    Nawaz Sharif
    Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...

     said the incident was not an ordinary act of terrorism and added that the roots of Pakistan were being shattered through terrorism. He also called for a probe into the attack in what he said was the responsibility of anti-Pakistan forces, something his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) would not remain silent about as the "Karachi incident should open our eyes." He further added that such incidents were damaging the image of Pakistan to the world. He vowed to eliminate "terrorism" from the country.

  • Nisar Ali Khan
    Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
    Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is a current Leader of the Opposition and politician, representating Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Wing, to the Parliament of Pakistan...

    , leader of the opposition in the parliament, also called the breach of PNS Mehran, a massive security negligence and called for summoning an open meeting of the joint parliamentary standing committee whereby the people responsible for the lapse be identified. Khan also criticised the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir
    Noman Bashir
    Admiral Noman Bashir, Admiral Noman Bashir, Admiral Noman Bashir, (NI(M), TI(MI, SI(M), HI(M), LM) was a 4-star rank Admiral who served as the 18th Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) of the Pakistan Navy, 7 October 2008 when Admiral Afzal Tahir retired from the navy, until 07 October 2011...

    . During a session of parliament, Nisar said that according to Bashir the incident was not result of a security lapse asking: "Can [Admiral Bashir] describe what constitutes a security lapse?"


Media
GEO Television Director of News Intelligence Unit (NIU) Kamran Khan
Kamran Khan (journalist)
Kamran Khan is a Pakistani investigative journalist, espionage and intelligence expert. Khan is the current director of the News Intelligence Unit , where he manages investigative reports for News International. Khan is the Pakistan's Geo TV's lead anchor during special news and landmark events...

 also criticised the navy for not conducting proper investigations on previous attacks. Khan said that the Naval Intelligence unit had failed to investigate the assailants behind the previous attacks therefore no security measures had been undertaken to protect its multi-billion dollar assets.

International

– China supported Pakistan's role in the War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...

. It also praised the SSG(N) for protecting and evacuating of its officers from the course of the attack; while it also rejected claims that militants had held Chinese officials as hostages, though none of its officials were injured or killed.
– The government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...

 has expressed concerned over wave of terror attacks in Pakistan. Defence Minister A. K. Antony
A. K. Antony
Arackaparambil Kurien Antony is an Indian National Congress politician, a former Chief Minister of Kerala, and the current Defence Minister of India....

 termed PNS Mehran attack a matter of serious concern for India. According to Antony, the developments in Pakistan, especially in Karachi, were a matter of serious concern. Defence Minister also said: "We are closely monitoring and we are taking precautions also. But at the same time, we don t want to overreact."
– Prime Minister David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....

 said that NATO allies must work with Pakistan more closely than ever, not turn away. Cameron also said, Their [Pakistan] enemy is our enemy.
– President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 said that the Taliban are the enemies of Pakistan. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...

 condemned the terror attack. Clinton said that no US citizen had been hurt in the incident in Karachi. Clinton also acknowledged that most terrorists had been killed on the Pakistani soil and that the U.S. had conducted operations against the terrorists with Pakistani cooperation. Clinton vowed that the U.S. and Britain would keep aiding Pakistan. US State Department’s official Mark Toner said that it had been clarified after the attack that Pakistan and US would have to work jointly. He said that the PNS Mehran attack was far more aggressive than the GHQ Rawalpindi attack.

Aftermath

Soon after the attack, Pakistan Media
Media of Pakistan
Media in Pakistan provides information on television, radio, cinema, newspapers, and magazines in Pakistan.-Regulation:The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority was formed in 2002 to "facilitate and promote a free, fair and independent electronic media", including opening the broadcasting...

 began to air news that Army SSG Division is going to carried out the operation. This was contradicted by Commodore Irfanul Haque, spokesperson of Naval ISPR
Inter Services Public Relations
Inter Services Public Relations is an administrative military organization within the Pakistan Defence Forces that coordinates military information with the media and the civil society...

. Commodore Haque confirmed that the SSG(N) are the one who are carrying out the operation. The Prime minister Secretariat also confirmed the Commodore's statement, and said, Prime minister Gillani is monitoring this operation. During the entire operation, the Naval SSG or SSG(N) exercised complete command, while the Army Rangers stayed behind the SSG(N) back cordon. Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...

's SSG Division also arrived the course of shooting, and was ready to conduct an operation. However, SSG(N) arrived at the base earlier than the Army's SSG, and had been monitored and planning an operation before the Army took over. Judging from SSG(N)'s ability to conduct operation, Prime minister Gillani gave a green signal and go-ahead to SSG(N) to conduct the operation, while Gillani monitored the operation from Islamabad. Overall the operation, the SSG(N) lost 3 men who were shot by the ring-leader, prior to starting of the operation. Casualties for Pakistan Marines stood at 4 men while 1 Ranger was also killed. No Pakistan Army SSG personnel took participation in the operation, Marines and Army Rangers kept guard at the perimeter of the Naval Base. As against the GHQ attack, where the Zarar Company of the SSG carried out the operation, 25 people, including two senior Army officials, were killed at the hands of eight terrorists in a gunbattle that continued for around 20 hours, the naval SSG personal managed the situation relatively easily.
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