KARACHI: With the authorities struggling to cope with security challenges in the aftermath of Sunday’s attack on Karachi airport’s Terminal One, suspected militants launched another attack on an Airport Security Force’s facility on Tuesday, forcing the Civil Aviation Authority to suspend flight operations at the country’s busiest airport for a brief period.

There were no causalities in the latest attack, whose responsibility was also claimed by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

However, law-enforcement agencies tried to downplay the incident saying it was ‘not an attack on the airport’ and that only a few shots were fired at the ASF Camp 2.

The assailants escaped safely after their swift action that resulted in the suspension of flight operations between 1pm and 1.35pm.

In an initial response, ASF spokesman Colonel Tahir told the media that two assailants, who came from Pehlwan Goth — a low-income neighbourhood near the airport — started firing near the ASF Camp 2, around 100 metres from the airport’s Old Terminal, and escaped after the guards returned fire.

Later, ASF Director General Brigadier Azam Tiwana told reporters that a few shots were heard near ASF Camp 2 which is at a considerable distance from the airport. “The Rangers and the army reached the scene and the situation was under control and the airport was secured,” he said.

The CAA said that the flight operation was suspended as ‘a precautionary measure’ due to the report of another attack on an ASF facility near the airport. At least six flights were either delayed or diverted.

A CAA official told Dawn that an Emirates flight that was coming from Dubai and was about to land at Karachi airport was informed about the suspension of the flight operations, so it preferred to return to the United Arab Emirates.

He said that three flights of the Shaheen Air International coming from Lahore, Islamabad and Multan to Karachi were also informed about the suspension of the flight operations and told to divert or return.

He said a Lahore-bound PIA flight was delayed for a few hours. Another PIA flight that had developed a fault and landed at Karachi airport at 10am was also delayed due to suspension of flight operations.

Also on Tuesday morning, rescue workers found the charred remains of seven airport workers who hid in a cold-storage facility in the cargo shed during the Sunday terrorist attack at Terminal One.

With these seven bodies, the death toll increased to 26. The victims include personnel of ASF, police and Rangers and airport workers. All 10 attackers were also killed in the operation clean-up. The banned TTP had claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2014