Jinnah International Airport attack

Karachi



Coordinates: 245424N 670939E

Jinnah International Airport is Pakistan's largest and busiest airport,
and serves as the hub for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the
national flag carrier of Pakistan.
Many domestic and international flights transit through the airport
daily.
This attack was the first large-scale incident in the airport in years, with
the last major incident being the hijacking of the Pan Am Flight 73 in
1986.
Earlier in 2011, a similar attack had taken place on the Mehran naval
airbase in Karachi,
and in 2012, the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar,
northwest Pakistan, was attacked by militants.

ABOUT THIS AIRPORT
Date : 8 June 2014 (PKT)
Target : Jinnah International Airport
Attack type : Terrorist attack
Deaths : 36 (including 10 attackers)
Non-fatal injuries : 18
Perpetrators : Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan

INCIDENT
On 8 June 2014, 10 militants armed with automatic weapons, a
rocket launcher, suicide vests, and grenades attacked the
airport.
The militants launched the attack at the cargo terminal of the
airport.
The attack began at 11:20 PM on 8 June and lasted until the
morning around 4:00 AM of 9 June.
WHAT WENT WRONG

The attackers were dressed as security guards, with some
also wearing suicide vests. They were wearing uniforms of the
Airports Security Force (ASF), and had used fake IDs to enter
the airport
A senior Pakistani intelligence official said some of the
militants tried to hijack a plane, but were unsuccessful
A hand grenade had also been used in the attack in Ispahani
Hangar



The attack began at 11:20 PM on 8 June and lasted until the
morning around 4:00 AM of 9 June.
About 90 minutes after the attack began, hundreds of
Special Services Group commandos arrived on the scene
and began battling the militants.
The attackers were reported to have initially seized control
of the airport tarmac and runways.
ENCOUNTER
Within hours, eight of the ten militants were shot dead by the
Army commandos and the remaining two blew themselves up
when they were cornered.
The siege officially ended after five hours
After the attack, the airport was cleared and handed over to
the Civil Aviation Authority and ASF.

36 people, including the ten terrorists, 11 ASF personnel, two
Pakistan Rangers officials, a Sindh Police officer, and four
PIA employees (including two senior aircraft engineers)
were killed in the incident
At least 18 security personnel were also injured in the attack
and admitted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Seven bodies that were burnt beyond recognition were also
recovered from the airport's cold storage facility after a 28
hour rescue operation.
CASUALTIES
Five aircraft, including three PIA planes (a Boeing 747, an
Airbus A310 and a Boeing 777) and two Shaheen Air planes
were reported damaged
The PIA did not initially elaborate on damage incurred by its
aircraft, although sources reported that the planes had either
been hit by bullets or shrapnel pieces.
Two cargo warehouses stored with imported goods to be
exported were reduced to ashes, causing heavy financial
losses for traders and importers.
LOSS/DAMAGE
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for
the attack, describing it as retaliation for the death of its
former chief Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in North
Waziristan in a drone attack in November 2013
The TTP also confirmed that the perpetrators were
foreigners of Uzbek ethnicity, belonging to the Islamic
Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), an Al Qaeda-affiliated
organisation that works closely with TTP and is banned by
several governments including Pakistan.
Responsibility
TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid described the
attack as a joint operation of TTP and IMU.
The IMU accepted its role in the attack, claiming it as
a revenge for Pakistani military operations against
Uzbeks and other foreign militants
And provided photographs of the ten Uzbek fighters
who participated in the airport attack.


TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid explained
why the airport was targeted: "We chose a
location where there would be less civilian
and more official casualties

"the main goal of this attack was to damage the
government, including by hijacking planes and destroying
state installations."
The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed
responsibility for the Karachi carnage.

"This was revenge for Hakimullah Mehsud's martyrdom"
(Mehsud was killed in a U.S. drone strike in November, 2013)
And a warning against the impending military operation the
government is preparing against the "helpless and innocent
tribes in Waziristan,.

"The biggest reason for attacking Karachi airport is because it
serves as the biggest air logistics center supplying goods for the
Crusaders' war in Afghanistan and Pakistan," referring to the
Karachi Port which handles the Afghanistan-bound U.S.-NATO
cargo.

What was the motive for the attack?


Some of the long-term implications of the attack is the fact
that it may make foreign airlines wary of expanding
operations in Pakistan.
Many international air carriers already having scaled back
their activities since 2008.
Currently, there are 19 international airlines serving Pakistani
airports
The only message flowing from these strikes is that
foreigners and foreign airlines should not fly into Pakistan

Repercussion
On 11 June, Cathay Pacific Airways notified of a temporary
cancellation of its flights to Karachi and stated it would
continue to monitor the situation closely.
The same day, Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen also
postponed his state visit to Pakistan indefinitely, in view of
the prevailing situation.
The Ireland cricket team were scheduled to play three One
Day International cricket matches in Lahore, Pakistan in
September 2014, but these were cancelled after the attack.
The airport and PIA are estimated to have suffered losses
worth billions of rupees, with one estimate putting the
accumulated loss at over Rs. 180 billion

Such a coordinated attack is not possible without
inside information
"the enemy within.
To think very seriously of purging the security
apparatus of such inside supporters
Did the attackers have inside
information?
On 10 June, just two days after the airport attack, two to four
unidentified militants opened fire near an Airports Security
Force academy in Pehlwan Goth, Karachi
After the indiscriminate firing they retreated from Pehlwan Goth
Security forces soon launched a search operation in the area,
during which two people were detained
No casualties and injuries were reported in the attack, and no
breach of fence occurred.
ASF academy attack
STRICT ACCESS CONTROL AT AIRPORTS
IMPERSONATION THROUGH PASSESS HENCE SECURITY
NEVER BE COMPLACENT
DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEES OF AIRPORT SHOULD BE
UNDER SURVEILLANCE
EFFECTIVE INTELLIGENCE ON INSIDERS SHOULD BE DONE
EFFECTIVE ACCESS CONTROL EQUIPMENT TO BE USED
ANTICIPATE THE FUTURE INCIENT: EXPECT THE
UNEXPECTED.
LESSON LEARNT