Pak military punishes personnel involved in terror

Islamabad: Pakistan`s armed forces have taken action against personnel who were involved in terrorist attacks on defence installations across the country, Defence Secretary Asif Yasin Malik said on Wednesday.

Malik, a retired general, made the revelation while briefing a parliamentary committee about terrorist attacks on defence facilities. Geo News channel quoted Malik as saying that action had been taken against military personnel who were involved in terror attacks. Details about the rank of these personnel, the punishment given to them, their exact role in attacks and links with terrorists were not available, the channel reported. Malik told the National Assembly`s standing committee on defence that military installations have been attacked 16 times since 2009. The meeting was chaired by Pakistan People`s Party lawmaker Azra Fazal Pechuho, the sister of President Asif Ali Zardari. The Defence Secretary further acknowledged that a Saab-2000 surveillance aircraft was destroyed during a terrorist attack on Kamra airbase in Punjab province on August 16 last year. Officials had earlier said that the aircraft worth millions of dollars had only been damaged by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by the terrorists. Nine terrorists and two security personnel were killed during the attack on Kamra airbase. The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan had claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out to avenge the killing of militant commander Baitullah Mehsud and Osama bin Laden. Reports in the Pakistani media in recent months had said that the terrorists who attacked Kamra airbase were aided by security personnel. Malik said the latest attacks had been carried out on Kamra airbase and Peshawar airport, which is used by the air force. The terrorists had attacked Peshawar airport from four sides but all installations remained safe due to an effective response by security forces. He informed the parliamentary committee that quick response teams had been deployed at all defence installations to counter possible attacks. PTI