Asia-Pacific

Pakistan defence body meets after Taliban attacks

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-25 17:09

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's top defence body is meeting Wednesday to discuss extraordinary security measures three days after the Taliban militants attacked the country's major naval air base in Karachi, officials said.

Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Reza Gilani will preside over the meeting of the Defence Coordination Committee of the Cabinet in the wake of the Sunday's brazen attack which left 10 navy personnel dead and two maritime reconnaissance aircraft destroyed.

Related readings:  Explosion hits police station in Pakistan's Peshawar  Pakistan probes naval base attack  Indian border guards on high alert along Pakistan border

Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which raised fears about the capability of the militants to strike heavily-guarded defence installations anywhere in the country.

Gilani, who visited the Mehran naval air base on Tuesday, ordered stepped-up precautionary measures for all defence assets and installations.

The meeting comes just hours after another Taliban attack on a police investigation center in the northwestern city of Peshawar, which left at least five policemen dead and over 20 others injured.

The targeted police compound is located in sensitive military area of Peshawar and not far from the US consulate and the army air base.

Taliban militants have stepped up attacks on security forces to avenge the killing of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden in a US raid on his hideout in Pakistan on May 2.

Services chiefs, Defence Minister, Minister for Interior and other top officials will brief the participants of Defence Committee about the terrorist attack on Mehran naval air base.

The Pakistani military has launched an inquiry into the brazen attack on the naval air station.