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15-hour Pak naval airbase siege ends

May 23, 2011

Pakistani troops have ended a siege by militants who attacked a naval base in the city of Karachi. The bbc.co.uk reports that troops are now said to be "mopping up" after the raid, which has left at least 14 soldiers dead.

The attackers were said to have taken hostages after storming the Mehran naval aviation base overnight.

Some militants may still be in the compound. The Pakistan Taliban says the raid was to avenge Osama Bin Laden's killing by US special forces on 2 May.

"It was the revenge of martyrdom of Osama Bin Laden. It was the proof that we are still united and powerful," Ehsanullah Ehsan, a Taliban spokesperson said.