Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, visits PAF Base Samungli

Lahore: Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, visited PAF Base Samungli, today where security forces successfully eliminated the terrorists in an operation last night. He was briefed about the sequence of operations against the miscreants by Air Commodore Salman Ahsan Bukhari, Base Commander PAF Base Samungli.

The Air Chief while interacting with officers and security officials who directly participated in this operation, commended their courage, valor and spirit to sacrifice for the defence of vital National Assets and installations.

The Air Chief also lauded their timely and quick response in the containment and elimination of miscreants’ nefarious designs. Later, the Air Chief visited CMH Quetta where he met all injured Troops and security officials who received injuries during the operation against terrorists attack at PAF Base Samungli and Khalid Army Aviation Base.

The Air Chief was accompanied by Commander Southern Command Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua and IG FC Balochistan, Maj Gen M Ejaz Shahid.

While addressing the troops the Air Chief said, “We must understand and realize that we are in a state of war, that too against a hidden enemy. These cowardly attacks can not weaken our resolve to defend our motherland”.  He further said, “All ranks and file of Pakistan Air Force are focused towards the ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb and are determined to defend every inch of its Air Bases and infrastructure”.

A joint security operation by PAF, Pak Army, Paramilitary Forces and Police successfully foiled the attempt by terrorist to infiltrate/ attack Samungli Air Base and Khalid Army Aviation Base simultaneously. The last night’s well planned and coordinated attack was undertaken by well trained assailants who seemed to be of foreign origin.

The terrorists were heavily equipped with rockets, hand grenades, petrol bombs, automatic rifles and carried edibles. Six terrorists were killed by security staff consisting of Air Base security troops, Pak Army troops deployed at Base, F.C and ATF of Balochistan police, while attempting to breach the outer security perimeters of Samungli Air Base.

The operation that started before midnight continued till the wee hours of the morning successfully culminated after the clearance of the premises by security officials.

The killing of these highly trained foreign terrorists without loss of single life and valuable assets was made possible by the brave, determined and professional security personnel. Security troops, who got injured during the fight, refused to leave for medical evacuation despite blood loss and continued to hold their positions.