The 2014 Quetta airbase attack occurred on 15 August 2014, when approximately 13 Tehrik-i-Taliban militants attempted to storm two airbases of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

and

Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...

;

PAF Base Samungli Pakistan Air Force Base Samungli or more simply PAF Base Samungli () is a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) airbase located adjacent to Quetta International Airport, in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Originally used as a forward operating locatio ...

and Khalid Airbase, both located in

Quetta Quetta is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. It is the ninth largest city in Pakistan, with an estimated population of over 1.6 million in 2024. It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a ...

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. The attack was largely unsuccessful as Pakistani security forces foiled the attempt following a major armed engagement between the two sides which resulted in the deaths of 12 militants, while 12 people were injured, including one attacker and 11 security personnel.

Background

is an

airbase An airbase (stylised air base in American English), sometimes referred to as a military airbase, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base, is an aerodrome or airport used as a mi ...

of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), located near the Quetta International Airport in the

i province of

. The PAF No. 17 Squadron and No. 23 Squadron are based in Samungli, which has been used as a main operating base since the 1970s. The Samungli airbase was also used by the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

to conduct

military logistics Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement, supply, and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with: * Design, development, Milita ...

operations for the

post-9/11 The post-9/11 period is the time after the September 11 attacks, characterized by heightened suspicion of non-Americans in the United States, increased government efforts to address terrorism, and a more aggressive American foreign policy. Some ...

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in ...

. PAF Base Khalid is another airbase located some away from PAF Base Samungli.

Attack

The attack took place in the early hours of 15 August 2014, when Tehrik-i-Taliban militants, armed with automatic weapons,

explosives An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...

and

RPGs RPG may refer to: Military * Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon **''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...

, attempted to storm

and PAF Base Khalid. According to a military spokesperson, Pakistani security forces pre-emptively engaged the terrorists during their infiltration attempt. Heavy contingents of

police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

and security forces responded after an intense gunfight erupted between the terrorists and airbase personnel, during which explosives were extensively used.

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...

Nasir Khan Janjua of the Pakistan Army Southern Command (also based near

) stated that six dead militants were found in PAF Base Khalid while another six were found in PAF Base Samungli. A wounded militant was captured by security forces and subsequently shifted for medical treatment and interrogation. 11 Pakistani security personnel were also wounded in the attack, and shifted for medical treatment. The

Pakistan Armed Forces The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consists of three uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are backe ...

Inter-Services Public Relations The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) () is the media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It broadcasts and coordinates military news and information to the country's Media of Pakistan, civilian media and the Pakistani ...

media wing later released a conclusive statement saying that both airbases had been secured.

Responsibility

Ghalib Mehsud, commander of the Tehrik-i-Taliban's ''Fidayeen Islam'' wing, claimed responsibility for the attack, and in a threat to the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

, stated that there will be more attacks in the coming days.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quetta Airbase attack Mass shootings in Pakistan Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2014 2014 mass shootings in Asia Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan attacks Terrorist incidents in Quetta Attacks on military installations in 2014 Attacks on airbases in Pakistan Terrorist attacks on airports in Pakistan Islamic terrorist incidents in 2014 Attacks on buildings and structures in Quetta 2014 in Balochistan, Pakistan 2010s crimes in Quetta

Background

Attack

Responsibility

See also

References