PNS Mehran Operation

PNS Mehran attack
Part of series of insurgent attacks in Pakistan
Date 22–23 May 2011 Location Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan 24°00′N 67°00′E / 24.0°N 67.0°E / 24.0; 67.0 Result Pakistan Navy secured the naval base. Hostages were secured and rescued. Ringleaders captured and executed. 2 militants escaped
Belligerents
Pakistan  Pakistan Navy	TTP Al-Qaeda
Commanders and leaders
Lieutenant Yasser Abbas †	Ehsanullah Ehsan Azam Tariq Ayman al-Zawahiri Ilyas Kashmiri †
Units involved
Naval Special Service Group-SSG(N) Special Security Unit Sindh Police	15 men strong terrorist squad.
Strength
500+ commondo	15 heavily armed terrorists
Casualties and losses
Killed in Action (Total 18): 11 naval officers 1 fireman 3 SSG(N) officers 1 sailor 2 Army Rangers Wounded in Action: 16 naval personnel Physical damage: 2 P3C Orion aircraft destroyed.	Killed in Action: 4 militants Wounded in Action 5 militants Caught: 4 militants 2 militants escaped.
Karachi Location within Pakistan

Pakistan Navy secured the naval base.

 Pakistan

The PNS Mehran attack was an attack/shooting by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Al Qaeda which took place on 22 May 2011, at PNS Mehran, the headquarters of the Pakistan Navy's Naval Air Arm and the most populous Pakistani military installation. It is located near the PAF's Faisal Air Force Base of Karachi, Sindh. In the course of the event, 15 attackers killed 18 military personnel and wounded 16 in a sophisticated terrorist attack. Two American-built P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft were destroyed.

According to the United States and Western intelligence sources, the attack was far more dangerous than the 2009 Pakistan Army General Headquarters attack, and was better planned and more rehearsed than the previous attack. It was the biggest attack on the Navy and its assets since 1971, and is believed to be the last major attack of militant mastermind Ilyas Kashmiri. The Special Service Group Navy (SSG(N)), carried out the counter-attack, which was the largest operation led by SSG(N) since Operation Jackpot of 1971.

The Pakistan Navy noted al-Qaeda members within its ranks. Raids were carried out and certain members were arrested by the Naval Intelligence. The talks that ensued between the Navy and the al-Qaeda did not succeed, since the Navy did not release the arrested members. Warnings were issued and after the death of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda attacked the naval base.