Under attack: ASF personnel put up a fight to keep the militants out

Eleven members of the force were killed in an exchange of fire.

KARACHI:

The Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel were on duty as per routine when they heard gun shots and explosions on Sunday night.

When they saw militants rushing towards Jinnah International Airport armed with AK-47s and hand grenades, they reached out for their weapons and geared up to fight.

Hawaladar Faiz Muhammad was sitting at his usual spot when he heard militants enter the airport’s premises at 10:30pm. Without a second thought, he joined his fellow officers and started running towards the target.

“The militants will never be able to achieve their goals as long as those defending Pakistan are alive,” he said, as he described what happened the night of the attack. “They were hardly 200 metres away from where I was standing. One of the militants was carrying a weapon that looked like a rocket launcher. It was tough and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget what happened.”

At least 11 members of the force were killed while fighting, and according to Muhammad, the militants were fully trained and well-equipped.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Muhammad said that he fought all night and had started with one weapon in hand but, as his fellow officer was killed in the assault, he decided to pick up his weapon too. The hawaldar was, however, taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in the morning at around 9:30am as he was shot at and injured in an exchange of fire.

According to Muhammad, while they were battling it out on the runway and cargo area, he noticed that most of the attackers were hiding behind the cargo and hurling hand grenades at them.

The injured ASF personnel who were at JPMC for treatment claimed that some of the attackers were wearing ASF uniforms. The only difference, they said, was that the militants had shoulder bags and different shoes. Besides weapons, the men were also carrying dates, medicine and water.

“They were right in front of me,” said Akhtar Hussain Cheema of the ASF’s Quick Response Force. His team fought with the militants for more than two and a half hours. “They wanted to advance but we did not let them move forward.” Cheema was injured when the attackers opened fire at the ASF personnel. The bullet went in through his ear lobe and got lodged in his shoulder. He was resting on a hospital bed and could barely keep his eyes open.

An injured ASF personnel who did not wish to be named said that the attackers were hiding in the hangar and might have wanted to hijack a plane. He added that two aircrafts, one belonging to Emirates and the other Thai, were very close to where the attackers were.

Hasan, an ASF official, said that he was done with work and was in his room when he heard the first explosion. “Without wasting any time, I changed into my uniform and rushed towards the Isfahani Hangar to see what was happening,” he said. “I don’t know how I got injured but the bullet hit my right arm and chest. We were conducting a sweep operation and there was a continuous exchange of fire with the attackers.”

While talking about the militants dressed in ASF uniforms, Hasan said that they could tell who was not a part of their team as they had never seen them before. He added that the young militants kept firing at them.

An ASF constable who was also injured in firing and was sharing the JPMC ward with Hasan said he had not informed his family about what had happened as they would just worry. He added that he had told them he was fine and resting in his room.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2014.