Skip To Content

BuzzFeed News

Taliban Attack On Pakistani Military Base Kills At Least 17

Fighters stormed a base in Peshawar wearing military uniform, officials said.

Taliban fighters stormed a military base in Peshawar early Friday morning, killing at least 17 people, a Pakistani army general said.

Mohammad Sajjad / AP

Pakistani commandos arrive at the air force base in Peshawar.

The attack on the Pakistani air force base is the deadliest on a military installation in the country this year, according to Reuters.

General Asim Bajwal tweeted that between 7 and 10 gunmen entered the compound at two separate points wearing constabulary uniforms, and a lengthy gunfight ensued.

General Bajwal added that 16 of those killed were praying at mosque at the time of the attack.

It was unclear if those killed in the mosque were members of the military or civilians, he added.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack Friday. "We proudly claim responsibility for the attack on Pakistani air base," spokesman Muhammad Khorasani told Reuters. "This base is being used by fighter jets for bombing us."

Peshawar was the scene of a Taliban attack on an army-run school which killed 150 people — almost all of them children — in December.