PESHAWAR, Oct 28: A plot to attack the Peshawar airport was foiled when Russian-made rockets planted in the nearby Bazidkhel village were defused by security personnel on Sunday.

Earlier, a rocket narrowly missed the US consulate in the city.

Official sources said five MBR-12 rockets with timers and detonators had been installed in a field in the village in the Badhber police area. The rockets were directed toward the airport and the cantonment area.

A bomb disposal squad and security officials defused two of the rockets and exploded the attached detonators. Three other rockets fired earlier in the day from the place had landed in different cantonment areas. No casualty was reported.

SSP (operations) Mohammad Tahir Khan confirmed the rocket attack. He told Dawn that residents of Bazidkhel informed police after the rockets had hit their areas. He said the bomb disposal squad went to the place and defused the remaining two rockets.

Bomb disposal experts said the two-foot rockets weighing about 19kg had a range of 10 to 15km. The rockets contained high explosive material and could have caused huge damage.

One of the three rockets which had been fired landed near the US consulate and hit the house of ANP leader Bashir Ahmed Bilour, causing minor damage.