Pakistani soldiers arrive to take position as volunteers move an injured person outside a Pakistan Air Force base after an attack by militants in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sept. 18, 2015. (AFP)
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 42 people, including 29 security personnel and 13 terrorists of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were killed and 29 other security personnel wounded in an attack at a camp of Pakistan Air Force near the country's northwestern provincial capital of Peshawar early Friday, a military spokesman said while addressing a press conference.
Pakistan army spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa told at a press conference that the militants armed with automatic weapons, rockets and explosives laden jackets entered the camp near an inactive airbase from two different sides at the town of Badhaber, some 6 km south of Peshawar near the Khyber tribal region, at around 5 a.m. in the morning.
After entering the camp from back side, they further divided themselves into four groups and one of them entered a mosque and killed 16 worshippers when they were offering their morning prayers, Bajwa said.
One of the groups attempted to enter into the residential area of the camp while others rushed to the installments at the camp, but they were intercepted by the security personnel.
Soon after the attack started, the quick response force of the Pakistan army responded timely and contained the terrorists around guard room area.
"Quick reaction force reached, surrounded and isolated them," military spokesman said.
Army commandos overwhelmed the situation and killed all 13 heavily armed terrorists in the battle which lasted for more than three hours.
Pakistani soldiers arrive to take position outside the Pakistan Air Force base after an attack by militants in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sept. 18, 2015. (AFP)
At least 22 personnel of Pakistan Air Force, three of Pakistan army and four civilian employees were among the killed.
Bodies and injured were shifted to the different hospitals of the city, including Combined Military Hospital.
TTP leader Muhammad Khorasani claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that the TTP's suicide unit carried out the attack, according to local media.
The attackers wearing the uniform of Frontier Constabulary, a paramilitary force in northwestern region of the country, managed to cross a couple of police check posts without any checking as they were wearing official attire.
A red alert has been issued for all bases of Pakistan Air Force in the country's northwestern region, officials said.
All strategic assets of the Pakistan Air Force present at the air base and camp are safe, a spokesman of the air force said.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack and reiterated the nation's resolve to continue its mission of eliminating terrorism.
The PM and Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif offered the funeral prayers of the deceased personnel at the Corps Headquarter in Peshawar.
Both leaders visited the hospital and met all the wounded soldiers and inquired about their health.
The PM said the armed forces of the county have the full support from the entire nation and that networks of terrorists would soon be eliminated from Pakistan.
Terrorists have also conducted attacks at the air bases in Pakistan in previous years.
Last year on Aug. 15, around 13 militants tried to storm two Pakistan Air Force bases, Samungli Airbase and Khalid Airbase, near the southwest provincial capital of Quetta.
The attacks were foiled by security forces that resulted in 12 militant deaths, while 12 people including 11 security personnel and one terrorist were injured.
