Action by an intelligence agency has foiled plans for a major attack on Pakistan Air Force Masroor Airbase in Karachi.

According to a report in The News, the plan involved nine terrorists including five of Afghan origin. The mastermind and leader of the attack was a highly-wanted commander, who is based in Afghanistan. The report added that the terrorists belonged to the ‘Fitna Al-Khwarij’, the name used by the government since last year to refer to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

The report added that the terrorists had recently entered Pakistan from Afghanistan and were planning to breach the airbase, destroy key infrastructure and aircraft and then fight to their deaths. The terrorists had reportedly taken up accommodation near the airbase as well and had determined a point of entry into the base.

The operation was planned in Afghanistan, according to the report, and had been in the works for thirteen months.

However, the plan had been detected by an intelligence agency, which conducted arrests across the country just before the terrorists planned to act.

According to the report, the terrorist network was also responsible for the attack on Liberty Textile Mills in Karachi’s SITE area in November, 2024.

The mastermind of the attack, who has not been named in the report, has been described as an IED expert who was trained in Afghanistan.

According to a recent report by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, revealed that a total of 105 militant attacks were reported across the country in March. A total of 171 terrorists were killed in March while 86 security officials and 78 civilians lost their lives.