Mehran attack: Former navy commando held

Pakistani intelligence agencies have taken into custody a former naval commando, who was court-martialled earlier, and two other persons for their alleged involvement in a terrorist attack on a naval airbase in Karachi that killed 10 security personnel.

Kamran Ahmed, a former personnel of the elite Special Service Group (Navy), was picked up with his younger brother and a friend from Gulberg area of Lahore on Friday, sources aid.

Ahmed was posted at the Pakistan Navy's Mehran and Iqbal bases before he was court-martialled about eight years ago for his involvement in a brawl with his superiors. Since then, he had operated several petty businesses in Lahore.

TV news channels beamed pictures of Ahmed's military identity card and a photo of the former commando, which showed him with a beard and wearing a camouflage uniform. Sources said Ahmed and the two others were taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

There were unconfirmed reports that he might have provided maps and important information about the PNS Mehran naval airbase that was targeted by a group of heavily armed Taliban fighters on May 22.

The attackers blew up two P3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft and killed 10 security personnel, including a naval officer. Four of the terrorists were killed or blew themselves up.

Authorities had earlier arrested six persons in connection with the attack. Intelligence sources have said they believe that the attack on PNS Mehran could not have been carried out without "help from insiders".

The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden in a United States raid in Abbottabad on May 2.