Pakistan airport resumes operation after deadly attack

Order returns to Karachi airport after Taliban militants stormed a terminal in a night-long battle that left at least 27 dead. Rough Cut (No reporter narration)

Published

about 1 month ago

Categories

World

Topics

Asia, World, Terrorism

People

Nawaz Sharif

Places

Pakistan, Karachi

Transcript

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Smoke billowed from buildings at the Karachi airport Monday following an overnight attack by Taliban militants that killed at least 27 people. Militants disguised as security forces stormed the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi Sunday night. Ten gunmen wearing military uniforms shot their way into the airport's old terminal used mainly for charter and executive flights. Gun battles raged through the night until security forces regained control of the airport at dawn. Passengers were evacuated and all flights were diverted. Security forces conducted a sweep of the airport and order seemed to have been restored by midday as airport staffers filed out of the building. A convoy of ambulances carrying the dead from the attack left the grounds as well. The Pakistani Taliban, an alliance of insurgent groups fighting to topple the government and set up a sharia state, claimed responsibility, saying it was in response to army attacks on their strongholds along the Afghan border. Pakistan's paramilitary force said that the attackers were ethnic Uzbeks. Pakistani officials often blame foreign militants holed up in lawless areas on the Afghan border for staging attacks alongside the Pakistani Taliban around the country. The assault all but destroys prospects for peace talks between the Taliban and the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who came to power last year promising to find a negotiated solution to years of violence. It also deals a heavy blow to Sharif's efforts to attract more foreign investors to revive economic growth and raises questions about security at the country's key installations.