Wikipedia

Mianwali air base attack

For the Conflict which this assualt is Part of,, see Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Mianwali air base attack occurred on November 4th, 2023, Pakistan Air Force's PAF Base M.M. Alam, in Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan, which was the target of an attack by the jihadist group Tehreek-e-Jihad. The Pakistani Armed Forces repelled the attack, killing all nine attackers during the security operation. However the attack did cause damage to 3 grounded aircraft, but the rest of the aircraft were unharmed. This event heightened national security concerns, as it targeted a critical military installation.[4][5][6][1][7][8][9][10]

Mianwali Air Base Attack
Part of Terrorism in Pakistan
Date4 November 2023
Location
PAF Base M.M. Alam, Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan
32°33′47″N 71°34′15″E / 32.56306°N 71.57083°E / 32.56306; 71.57083
Result

Clearing operation against Militants successful

  • All militants killed
  • 3 grounded aircraft damaged, 1 Fuel tanker destroyed[1]
Belligerents
 Pakistan Air Force Tehreek-e-Jihad
Strength
9 militants
Casualties and losses
3 grounded aircraft damaged,1 Fuel tank destroyed[2] 9 militants killed[3]
Mianwali air base attack is located in Pakistan
Mianwali air base attack
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Mianwali Airbase

Background

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Context

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Pakistani defense analysts recently reported a worrying increase in militant attacks targeting military installations. This coincides with a broader trend of heightened extremist violence within the country since the Taliban's 2021 takeover of Afghanistan. These developments have strained relations between Pakistan and the Taliban government. The Taliban have denied accusations from Pakistan of harboring militant groups, specifically the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Notably, the TTP views the Afghan Taliban as an ally.[11]

Prelude

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Prior to the attack on the air base, the militants had launched two separate attacks on security forces in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.[1]

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province

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An Intelligence-Based Operation (IBO) in Tirah, Khyber District, resulted in a firefight. One militant was killed, and two were apprehended. Additionally, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in the Sarwekai area of South Waziristan District, killing two soldiers.[1]

Balochistan Province

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The day before the air base attack, a separate incident in Balochistan Province resulted in the deaths of 14 soldiers during an ambush. In Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a bomb attack targeted police, killing five people. No group claimed responsibility for these attacks.[12]

Details

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Military reports indicate that an attack targeted Mianwali Training Air Base, a high-security facility of the Pakistan Air Force, at around 3:00 AM on November 4th, 2023. According to the reports, militants breached the perimeter by scaling the walls. By midday, all nine attackers were killed during a security operation. While operational fighter jets stored in concrete hangars remained undamaged, three other non-operational aircraft sustained damage. No information is publicly available regarding casualties among base personnel. Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that the attack was swiftly repelled by base security forces.[1][10]

According to military reports, all nine attackers were killed during the course of the attack.[10] Three were killed by base personnel as they attempted entry, while three others were engaged and killed in a subsequent firefight. The remaining three attackers were killed during clearing operations.[12][13]

Aftermath

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The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officially reported that the attack resulted in no damage to operational aircraft. However, it did cause damage to three older, non-operational aircraft and destroyed a fuel tank.[12][1] Separately, India Today examined publicly available satellite imagery of the base. Their analysis suggested potential damage to operational aircraft shelters, though the PAF did not confirm this. The magazine reported that the level of damage to the shelters could indicate a powerful explosion nearby, potentially posing a risk to stored aircraft.[4]

The Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), an affiliate of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack.[1][10]

Reactions

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  • Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar praised the Pakistan Air Force's response to the attack and said that "any attempt to undermine our security will meet with unwavering resistance".[14] President Arif Alvi expressed satisfaction at the failure of the attack and denounced the attackers as enemies of Pakistan.[1]
  • Interim interior minister Sarfraz Bugti called the attack part of a conspiracy to destabilize Pakistan and called for unity among state institutions to combat terrorism.[1]

Further Investigation

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The Security agencies of Pakistan, investigated the terrorist attack on the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) base Mianwali, which found that the weapons used by the terrorists were American made. These were the startling revelations which have surfaced in the aftermath of the attack on the PAF Mianwali air base which raisied concerns about these weapons origin and availability with the terrorists.[15]

The report showed weapons seized from the militants included RPG-7s, AK-74s, M-4s, and M-16/A4 rifles, all manufactured in the United States. Security experts warn that American-made weapons and ammunition are available in Afghanistan, potentially enabling militant groups to acquire them.[16] The presence of American-supplied weaponry among insurgents raises concerns about the potential misuse of such arms following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, including their use against Afghanistan. In July, reports indicated the use of American-made weaponry in a terrorist attack on the Zhob Cantonment. This incident presents a significant challenge for the Afghan interim government how to prevent their territory from being used for attacks against Pakistan.[16][17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Shirazi, Iftikhar (2023-11-04). "9 terrorists killed as operation to clear PAF's Mianwali air base concludes: ISPR". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  2. ^ "Pakistan terror attack Highlights: Clearance operation at Pakistan Air Force base concluded, 9 militants killed". livermint.com. 2023-11-04. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  3. ^ "Pakistan terror attack Highlights: Clearance operation at Pakistan Air Force base concluded, 9 militants killed". livermint.com. 2023-11-04. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  4. ^ a b "Satellite images show more damage at Pakistan's airbase than officially stated". India Today. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  5. ^ "PAF honours ace pilot MM Alam, renames Mianwali air base after him". The Express Tribune. 2014-03-20. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  6. ^ "Pakistan Air Force Station Attacked: Terrorists Attack MM Alam Training Air Base in Mianwali, Three Gunmen Killed". LatestLY. 2023-11-04. Archived from the original on 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  7. ^ "mianwali airbase attack: Pakistan's Mianwali airbase attacked by terrorists, locals share video". The Times of India. 2023-11-04. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  8. ^ Livemint (2023-11-04). "Pakistan terror attack LIVE: 9 militants killed after attack on Pak air base". mint. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  9. ^ "Terrorists Storm Pakistans Mianwali Air Force Base, 3 Aircrafts [sic] Damaged". Zee News. 2023-11-04. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  10. ^ a b c d Peshimam, Gibran Naiyyar (2023-11-04). "Militants attack air force base in central Pakistan, says military". Reuters. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  11. ^ "Militant Attack on Air Base Is Latest Episode to Unnerve Pakistan". New york Times. 2023-11-05. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  12. ^ a b c "Pakistani troops kill 9 militants and foil an attack on an airbase in eastern Punjab province". Associated Press. 4 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Pakistan terror attack Highlights: Clearance operation at Pakistan Air Force base concluded, 9 militants killed". livermint.com. 2023-11-04. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  14. ^ "Pakistan troops 'thwart' attack on air force base, killing 9 fighters". Aljazeera. 4 November 2023.
  15. ^ "'US-made' weapons used in terror attack on PAF Mianwali base". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  16. ^ a b "Probe reveals US-made weapons used in Mianwali PAF base terror attack". The Nation. 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  17. ^ APP (2024-01-01). "TTP using the weapons abandoned by US: analysts". Brecorder. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
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