8 gunmen killed as Taliban storms Pakistani Air Force baseSeptember 18, 2015 - 10:33 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Taliban gunmen stormed a Pakistani Air Force base in the volatile northwestern city of Peshawar early on Friday, September 18 a military spokesman said, the first major attack on a military installation in several weeks, according to Reuters. A group of militants attacked a guard post and tried to force their way into the Badaber air base, Major General Asim Bajwa said on Twitter. Eight attackers had been killed so far, he said, and 10 soldiers wounded. A military official at the base, who asked not to be identified, said the gunmen opened fire on security guards as they tried to fight their way into the facility. Ambulances had taken around 20 wounded military personnel to hospital, said rescue official Bilal Ahmed. Taliban spokesman Muhammad Khorasani claimed responsibility for the attack on behalf of the militant group. Television pictures showed helicopters hovering above the base while police and ambulances gathered outside. Nearby residents said explosions and gunfire could still be heard more than three hours after the attack began. The number of attacks in Pakistan has fallen around 70 percent this year, due to a combination of a military offensive against Taliban bases along the Afghan border and government initiatives to tackle militancy. That follows a massacre at a military-run school last December that killed around 150 people, almost all of them children. Militants can still strike high-value targets even though attacks have decreased. The home minister of Punjab province and 15 others were killed in a suicide attack last month. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Erdogan wants “realistic road map” for relations with Armenia Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a “new realistic road map” for relations with Armenia. Armenia-Azerbaijan: Experts launch work on determining coordinates Expert groups from the countries started the process of determining the coordinates based on geodetic measurements. Yerevan says did not expect CSTO in peacekeeping role Pashinyan has declared that the CSTO would be expected to come to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border as an ally of Armenia Henrikh Mkhitaryan wins Serie A title with Inter Inter Milan midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan admits that the team have long been imagining clinching Serie A against AC Milan. |