Staff killed in Karachi airport militant attack
AT LEAST five people have been killed after gunmen attacked a terminal at one of Pakistan’s biggest airports in Karachi yesterday.
The attack on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan’s sprawling commercial hub of 18m, took place as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government tries to engage Taliban militants in negotiations to end years of fighting.
Three of those killed were airport security staff, and two others were civilian employees of Pakistan International Airlines according to reports citing hospital sources.
“The old terminal of Karachi airport was attacked by militants,” said a senior police official. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
All operations have been suspended and flights have been diverted to other cities, a spokesperson for the civil aviation authority said.
“Over half a dozen armed men made towards the runway from the backside of the airport,” said a private television channel.
Peace talks between the government and the Pakistani Taliban have recently failed.