Attack on Kamra base

Sqn Ldr Ausaf Husain (R)

This is apropos of the report ‘Terror attack on Kamra Air Base foiled’ (August 17).The security personnel at the PAF Base Minhas, Kamra need to be applauded for effectively engaging the militants and killing eight of them. The bravery of the Base Commander PAF Base Minhas Air Commodore Muhammmad Azam Khan is also to be lauded who himself led the operation against the militants. PAF is quite capable of defending its bases and the culprits behind this attack will be caught soon. The attack on the PAF Kamra airbase seems to be similar to the attack on the PNS Mehran naval base carried out on May 22 last year.

The attack on the air force base in Kamra has raised few questions. That how the militants were able to infiltrate into the highly guarded air base and were able to engage security personnel inside the base for nearly four hours. Why the entire perimeter of the base was not covered and monitored round the clock by the static and patrolling guards thus enabling the intruders to scale 2.7-metre high wall strung with barbed wire to break into the base from behind the base at around 2am. Why the likely approaches of the enemy around the base perimeter were not guarded.

However, no attack on well-protected military installations can be carried out unless attackers and their sponsors have full information about their targets. Attackers cannot infiltrate into the protected target as easily as they did at the Kamra airbase without having prior knowledge about the target and the route taken to reach the target.

The attackers must have had full reconnaissance of the airbase, both inside as well as of the area surrounding the base, before launching the attack. For this purpose, the use of paid agents planted inside the targets months before the attack cannot be ruled out. The PAF must look into all possibilities when investigating this attack. It is suggested that services of PAF retired officers expert in security of air bases who have participated in both the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971 may be obtained to benefit from their valuable experience.

—Karachi

                         Attempt for self employment

Sqn Ldr (R) Ausaf Husain wrote a quite worthy comments about attack on Kamra published in Pakistan Observer  on Sunday 19th instant which I liked and must admire him for using many adjectives for PAF personnel. However, he being himself a retired PAF officer has indirectly attempted for re-employment when in his last line he suggested that PAF retired officers (excluding NCOs) expert in security air bases be engaged.