Pakistan: Bacha Khan Airport Attack TR Jan13

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

• On 15 December 2012, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) launched an attack with affiliated Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) members on the Bacha Khan Airport, which operates both as a commercial airport and a military facility for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
• The attack began at 2035 with five rockets. Three rockets fell short and caused civilian damage and casualties in a village outside of the airport, and two landed on the airfield.
• A vehicle laden with explosives detonated prematurely at the western perimeter wall, destroying a portion of the wall, killing all five passengers.
• Airport security personnel were anticipating an attack and quickly moved to the point of the explosion where they repelled an attack from a follow-on force of five assailants.
• The follow-on force retreated to a safe house in a neighborhood in the vicinity of the attack where they were found the next morning. Three insurgents were killed in a firefight with security forces and two assailants killed themselves by detonating suicide vests.