Taliban storm airbase housing Pak nukes

US defence secretary Leon Panetta had only a day earlier expressed renewed fear about Pakistan’s nukes falling into terrorists’ hands. Kamra is thought to be home to a part of Pakistan’s at least 100-warhead nuclear arsenal.

An air force spokesperson said eight terrorists were killed inside the base and the ninth “exploded himself outside the perimeter” where he was hiding. A soldier was killed and Air Commodore Muhammad Azam,the commander of the base,took a bullet in the shoulder during the three-hour firefight.

One aircraft was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade,the spokesperson said,but gave no details of the aircraft or of the extent of damage it suffered.

Tehrik-e-Taliban spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan said their suicide bombers had carried out the attack to avenge the killing of militant commander Baitullah Mehsud and Osama bin Laden. The attack had dealt a “lethal blow” to the security forces,Ihsan said. PTI