| KARACHI: An operation to regain control of Pakistan Naval airbase, PNS Mehran, assaulted by militants has been completed after almost 16 hours of fighting with up to 20 assailants holed up in a building, a security official said. "The operation is over. The main building has been cleared," the official said. "For precaution, we are continuing search around for any more terrorists but the main operation is over." Bodies of three militants have been recovered from the building. Reports about security forces arrested some militants could not be confirmed. Gunmen armed with rockets and explosives stormed base, destroying two US-made two P-3C Orion aircraft surveillance aircraft and killing 12 security personnel. Earlier, Geo News correspondent reported from the vicinity of the base that four militants blew themselves up. Correspondent Tariq Abul Hassan also said that the arrested terrorists camouflaged themselves with dark dresses and fake cards have been recovered from them. According to official spokesman, 11 navy and two Rangers personnel embraced martyrdom taking the toll to 13. The operation against militants who attacked PNS Mehran started at 10.30 pm on Sunday. The assault was the fourth on the navy in Karachi in a month. On April 28, four naval personnel and a passing motorcyclist were killed in a bombing, two days after four other people were killed in two navy bus bombings. | ||
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