Pakistan Air Force base attacked, 9 killed

The Pakistan Air Force Base in Punjab's Mianwali on Saturday morning (Nov 4) came under attack. Reports claimed that at least nine heavily armed jihadis, including some suicide bombers, attacked the airbase. 

The military added in a statement that all nine militants who tried to attack the airbase had been killed.

The Pakistani military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement that at least nine terrorists attacked Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Mianwali Training Air Base in the early hours of Nov 4.

It claimed that the attack had been "foiled and thwarted" due to the swift and effective response of security troops, "ensuring the safety and security of personnel and assets".

Some reports noted that multiple planes parked inside the air base were damaged but the military said in a statement that three grounded aircraft and a fuel bowser had been damaged in the attack.   

The military said that one officer was injured. 

ISPR said that a comprehensive clearance and combing operation is in the final stages to clear the airbase.

"Pakistan Armed Forces remain committed to eliminating the menace of terrorism from the country at all costs," said ISPR.

Source-based reports also mentioned that the attackers used a ladder to enter the fenced walls of the airbase. They were carrying the latest weapons. 

As per reports, Tehrik-e-Jihad Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the attack. 

Also read: Pakistan poll body, Prez agree on 8 Feb next year as general elections date 

Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media.

Dera Ismail Khan bomb blast 

A day earlier, at least 17 troops were killed in different terrorist attacks in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) provinces. 

On Friday, at least five people were killed in a bomb blast that targeted a police patrol in Pakistan's Dera Ismail Khan, about 350 km southwest of the country's capital Islamabad. Around 21 people were reported injured. 

The bomb exploded close to a police patrol in Dera Ismail Khan city, police official Mohammad Adnan was quoted as saying by the Dawn publication. 

The explosion occurred in Tank Adda in Ponda Baza of Dera Ismail Khan city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the home state of jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan. 

(With inputs from agencies)