Gunmen open fire on Pakistan base
A team of gunmen tried to break into Pakistan's army headquarters, sparking a ferocious 45-minute gun battle that ended when all the assailants were killed, authorities said.
The assault was the third major militant attack in Pakistan in a week and came as the government said it was planning an imminent offensive against Islamist militants in their strongholds in the rugged mountains along the border with Afghanistan.
The four gunmen, dressed in camouflage uniforms, drove in a white van up to the army compound in the garrison city of Rawalpindi shortly before noon and tried to force their way inside before being stopped by soldiers, security officials said.
The heavily-armed attackers jumped out of the van, took up positions throughout the area and began firing at the troops, said Mohammed Jamil, a police official.
One gunman hurled a grenade, and others fired sporadically from their hiding places at those manning the checkpoint at the compound's entrance, said a senior military official inside. The official said top army officials were trapped in the compound during the assault.
Police and troops backed by helicopter gunships cordoned off the area, which is adjacent to the capital Islamabad.
After a 45-minute gunfight, all four assailants were killed, army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said.
"The situation is now under full control," he said.
Several soldiers were killed and injured in the attack, but the full scope of casualties was not immediately clear, said an intelligence official.
