Taliban attack Karachi airport

[Officer of Engineers]

Okay. But tell me something, how come the terrorists even wander so close to high value targets? Are there no security blankets? What do you think of insider help to the TTP?

You cannot protect everything. The PA made the correct choice, a contingency force that can react to everything.

Do note my eval. The Pakistanis reacted fast and accurate.

[lemontree]

I agree too sir. Their drills were well practiced and carried out.
Containing the initial assault to flushing out the terrorists by their army/ranger was quite fast.

[Doktor]

Kudos to the airport security, as well. If they failed and the hijackers reached the intended areas my guesses are it wouldn't have been such swift op.

RIP to the innocents and may the perps rot in hell.

[Monash]

Hmm .... if I was part of the insurgency involved in the Karachi Airport operation I might look at obtaining some light mortars or even home made rockets aka the Gaza strip and just use harassment bombardments as a way shut the airport down intermittently. (Just playing Devils advocate folks - I mean its Pakistan we're talking about here, nothing would surprise me.) :bang:

[Double Edge]

Would require the cooperation or rather submission of residents nearby. Shoot & scoot.

[Doktor]

Would require the cooperation or rather submission of residents nearby. Shoot & scoot.

If the PA manages to hit them before they scoot there wont be more then 3 such incidents. Try hijacking US airplane.

[Double Edge]

Why attack the airport gaza style when you can just take it over like was envisaged. Capture hostages and get your guys out.

Much more surgical. Guns & rocket propelled grenades are easily available. No need to be a rocket scientist.

[Monash]

Would require the cooperation or rather submission of residents nearby. Shoot & scoot.

If threats won't work try 'inconvenience' payments. Its not as if you have to use the same location every time, shoot and scoot indeed. Just pay off the local crime bosses/or politicians (same thing) and 'fire at will'. Doesn't have to be a frequent or even intense bombardment, just enough to make shrapnel damage to passenger aircraft a real threat.

[Monash]

If the PA manages to hit them before they scoot there wont be more then 3 such incidents. Try hijacking US airplane.

It doesn't have to be about shutting the place down just major inconvenience and it certainly doesn't have to be about targeting the US, just shutting the airport down regularly no matter who owns the planes flying in/out or for that matter whose on board any particular plane.

[Doktor]

It doesn't have to be about shutting the place down just major inconvenience and it certainly doesn't have to be about targeting the US, just shutting the airport down regularly no matter who owns the planes flying in/out or fpr that matter whose on board any particular plane.

My point was if the perps put a mortar in my yard, then shell something from there and in the process the army blows everything up, after few such occurrences, the people will fight perps who try to place mortars in their own yards.

[Monash]

Why attack the airport gaza style when you can just take it over like was envisaged. Capture hostages and get your guys out.

Much more surgical. Guns & rocket propelled grenades are easily available. No need to be a rocket scientist.

A takeover was never an option. The passenger terminals were to well guarded and after recent events you can bet security at the freight terminals will be upgraded. A modern commercial airport is simply to big a piece of infrastructure to take over whole scale. Even a single terminal is to large/open a space for a small team of terrorists to secure. You need a least a battalion strength sized force to properly secure/defend the perimeter of a military airfield from attack let alone a commercial one, same goes I would assume for taking over and 'securing' one. Lobbing bombs in when you can from outside the security perimeter is much easier and simpler. Even the risk of unexploded ordinance on the tarmac will close a commercial airport down, let alone the risk of shrapnel damage (even minor damage) to large commercial jets.

[lemontree]

Hmm .... if I was part of the insurgency involved in the Karachi Airport operation I might look at obtaining some light mortars or even home made rockets aka the Gaza strip and just use harassment bombardments as a way shut the airport down intermittently. (Just playing Devils advocate folks - I mean its Pakistan we're talking about here, nothing would surprise me.) :bang:

You are a man after my heart. I have the same thing in mind with 120 mm mortars in mind.
Two tubes and a short quick salvo and scoot (after booby trapping the tubes).

[ambidex]

Uzbek fighters claim involvement in Karachi airport attack - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), an Al-Qaeda affiliate that has been mainly based in Pakistan's tribal belt since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, claimed the “martyrdom” of 10 of their fighters during this week's assault in a statement posted on various Taliban-linked websites.

An intelligence official in Islamabad added that Karachi-based investigators also suspected the attackers included Uzbeks.

Few of the Pakistani analysts are saying the same for last two days. They were rejecting TTP claim as rhetoric of owning every nuisance that has been happening in Pakistan (no good reason given, why).

[Monash]

You are a man after my heart. I have the same thing in mind with 120 mm mortars in mind.
Two tubes and a short quick salvo and scoot (after booby trapping the tubes).

Depends on how quick, well trained, mobile you are. It really is a case of shoot and scoot, and the aim is disruption after all, any damage you cause is an added bonus. I don't know how well the Pakistani insurgency is equipped. If they can afford to use and lose 120mm mortar tubes in a single mission fine, if not virtually any high angle explosive round might do, hell even a volley of RP rounds onto the the runway will do the trick - the airport authorities will have to close that particular runway down until they have swept up all the shrapnel pieces, even a single piece of metallic debris sucked into the intake of a modern jet engine could spell disaster.

[Monash]

My point was if the perps put a mortar in my yard, then shell something from there and in the process the army blows everything up, after few such occurrences, the people will fight perps who try to place mortars in their own yards.

They can always put the launchers in vehicles or failing that simply simply threaten to kill or 'disappear' a member of your family if you try to intervene. Even better for everyone concerned all they need do is point guns at you and your family members (even if you weren't going to interfere with their plans). What are the security forces going to do when they turn up, arrest you and your family for not martyring yourselves in the name of the Pakistani State? (I concede they might try - but there are limits to how corrupt even the Pakistani legal system is.