Page 8 - ATD19September2015

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WORLD NEWSSaturday 19 September

Brazen Taliban attack on Pakistani military base kills 29

RIAZ KHAN spokesman Gen. Asim Sal-

ZARAR KHAN eem Bajwa said. In addi-

Associated Press tion to the dead, another

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) 29 people were wounded.

— Suspected Taliban mili- More than 2,000 employ-

tants launched a brazen ees were on the base at

attack on a Pakistani mili- the time of the attack,

tary base on Friday, killing Bajwa said. The attack-

29 people including 16 who ers first stormed the guard

were gunned down inside room and then tried to

a mosque during prayers. move toward its admin-

The Pakistani army quick- istrative block, but were

ly blamed militants from stopped by security forces,

neighboring Afghanistan, he said.

which Islamabad routinely The base was established

accuses of harboring ter- in 1960s but in recent years

rorists who launch attacks has mostly been used as a

across their porous border. residence for air force em-

The attack was a major ployees and officers from

blow to Pakistan’s military, Peshawar.

which had stepped up op- Bajwa said the assault was

erations against militants quickly repulsed because

following a horrific Taliban of timely and coordinated Commandos head to an air force base in Peshawar, Pakistan, Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. Militants in
attack last December at a action by security forces. northwestern Pakistan attacked an air force base on the outskirts of Peshawar early Friday, trig-
Peshawar school that killed He told reporters in Pesha- gering a shootout that left at least 20 wounded and six of the attackers dead, officials said.
150 people, mostly chil- war that “the attackers
dren. It also underscored came from Afghanistan,” (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

the ability of the militants though he stressed he did because Pakistan’s spy Khurasani, claimed respon- “targeted” 50 security forc-

to stage spectacular at- not mean that the govern- agency was investigating sibility for the attack. In a es, without explaining what

tacks on targets linked to ment in Kabul was behind the evidence. It was also statement to the media, that meant.

the country’s military and the assault. possible that the attackers he said 14 Taliban fighters The Pakistani Taliban also

government. Intercepted communi- were assisted by someone were involved in the as- released a video in which

All 13 attackers were killed cations indicated that on the inside, he added. sault. They offered “safe militant leader Khalifa

after an hours-long firefight the attackers were being There was no immediate passage” to women and Umar Mansoor is seen sit-

at the Badaber base on the handled by superiors in response from Afghanistan. children after attacking ting among the alleged at-

outskirts of the northwest- Afghanistan, he said, but A spokesman for the Paki- the base, Khurasani said. tackers. He said he was in

ern city of Peshawar, army would not elaborate further stani Taliban, Mohamad He added that the Taliban charge of the attack and

Activists: Syrian warplanes attack IS-held Palmyra that the purpose was to

avenge Pakistani military
bombardment of mosques

ZEINA KARAM on condition of anonym- of IS militants were among Foua and Kfarya villages and the killing of civilians in

Associated Press ity for security reasons re- those killed. earlier Friday. Both are held tribal regions, as well as the

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian war- ported at least 30 air raids The Syrian government says by pro-government forces humiliation of seminary stu-

planes unleashed a wave on Palmyra Friday. A local it is the leading force fight- in an otherwise rebel-con- dents in cities.

of deadly airstrikes on the media collective called ing IS in Syria and Russia, a trolled province. He said the attack was or-

Islamic State-held town of the strikes a “massacre” key ally of President Bashar Syrian TV and Manar, a sta- dered by Mullah Fazlullah,

Palmyra in central Syria on and said 15 people were Assad, is trying to convince tion owned by Lebanon’s the chief of the Paki-

Friday, killing at least 15 killed and more than 120 the West of the need to Hezbollah group, said pop- stani Taliban whom Paki-

and wounding many more, wounded. It said Palmyra’s work with Syria in this effort. ular defense forces — a stan says is hiding in Af-

activists said, in some of the only hospital was suffering Meanwhile, a coalition of term used to refer to Shiite ghanistan. Pakistan wants

heaviest bombardment severe shortages in staff rebel groups launched a militias — foiled attempts Kabul to arrest Fazlullah as

since the extremist group and equipment, and some major ground offensive on by “terrorists” to attack he is accused of numerous

seized the ancient town of the wounded had to be two predominantly Shiite vil- Foua and destroyed five of acts of terrorism in Paki-

May 10. taken to Raqqa, more than lages in the northern prov- armored vehicles. Hezbol- stan.

The Palmyra airstrikes come 200 kilometers (125 miles) ince of Idlib, firing dozens of lah fighters are also fighting Independent Pakistani

a day after the Syrian away. rockets and detonating at to defend the two villages. analyst Zahid Hussain

army carried out heavy air It did not say if those killed least seven booby-trapped Syrian government forces said Pakistan and Afghani-

raids in the northern city of were civilians or IS fighters. vehicles on their outskirts. have pulled out from Idlib stan should work together

Raqqa, also held by the Is- However the Britain-based The coalition, known as province over the past to eliminate militants, who

lamic State group. Syrian Observatory for Hu- Jaysh al-Fateh, or “Army year following major gains were their common en-

A local activist who spoke man Rights said a number of Conquest,” attacked by the rebel coalition. q emy. q