McClatchy Newspapers

McClatchy Newspapers

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The nerve center of Pakistan’s vast security establishment came under bold assault Saturday, with terrorists storming the military headquarters, killing six army personnel and holding up to 15 hostages late into the night.

The drama at the sprawling headquarters complex in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, began Saturday morning and continued all day and into the night, watched live on TV by an appalled nation. Late Saturday, commandos were preparing to storm a building in the headquarters, where four to five gunmen were holding their captives.

It was the third major terrorist attack to hit Pakistan in six days, and likely was a warning from Pakistani Taliban of the bloodshed that will ensue from the country’s planned Washington-backed military offensive in the Waziristan region, the base of country’s extremism and an important refuge for insurgents fighting in neighboring Afghanistan.

Though other recent attacks resulted in more bloodshed, the target Saturday was deeply symbolic for a country dominated by its armed forces.

“It’s a very, very serious blow to the Pakistani security forces. The symbol of our military might has been attacked,” said Imtiaz Gul, chairman of the Center for Research and Security Studies, an independent think tank in Islamabad. “They [the terrorists] wanted to send a strong message that they can strike at will.”

Pakistan is reckoned to be the base of al-Qaida, which has commandeered as its foot soldiers the Pakistani Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the attack on the military headquarters. The Pakistani Taliban appears to have regrouped after the assassination of their leader, Baitullah Mehsud, in early August by a U.S. missile attack.

The government and the military have repeatedly stated in recent days that an offensive in Waziristan was imminent, a forewarning to the extremists that some believe was unwise.

“What happened in Peshawar, Islamabad and today [in Rawalpindi], all roads lead to South Waziristan,” said Interior Minister Rehman Malik. “The TTP [Taliban Movement of Pakistan] is behind all of these attacks, and now the government has no other option but to launch an offensive.”

The Pakistani military has staged multiple operations in South Waziristan since 2004, but each time the engagement has been halted, leaving the Taliban in a stronger position. Given this track record and an enduring belief that the military still see jihadists as some sort of strategic asset for use in Afghanistan and India, many remain skeptical whether the army has the resolve to mount a full-scale offensive in Waziristan.

Pakistan has been hit by an Islamic insurrection since summer 2007, seeing dozens of suicide attacks, as well as commando-style raids, leading to concerns that the nuclear-armed nation could be thrown into chaos.

A little before noon Saturday, terrorists dressed in military uniform and traveling in a van mounted a daring gun and grenade attack on the entrance to the general headquarters of the Pakistani military, with a brigadier general and a lieutenant colonel among the six army dead. Four terrorists were killed. The attackers fought their way past the first gate and were stopped at the second insider gate in a firefight that lasted about 45 minutes.

The remaining assailants then seemed to disappear for several hours before they emerged inside the security office of the headquarters compound, holding 10 to 15 hostages, including military personnel and civilian employees of the army, according to the army’s chief spokesman, Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas. He said that the attackers were armed with guns and explosives.

“We’re facing an extraordinary situation. It’s a very difficult hostage situation. ... The building is surrounded,” said Abbas. “We hope to save as many lives as possible.”