ISLAMABAD: The authorities of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) at Kamra airbase assigned the security of multi-billion rupees worth and strategically important aircraft to poorly trained airmen, officials facing court martial have alleged.

Zafar Abbas, one of the three low ranking PAF officials, who is being court martialled at the base, for his alleged negligence on the night of the attack, has claimed in documents submitted to the court that he was ill trained and that he was never given any training to handle terrorist attacks.

He is accused of having provided the terrorists the opportunity to destroy $250 million worth Saab 2000 during the fateful night of 15-16 August in 2012.

The strategically important airbase came under attack at night when at least nine militants stormed the base destroying a Saab 2000 surveillance aircraft and killing a security official. All nine militants were later killed in shootout with security forces.

The Minhas airbase at Kamra has suffered more than one attack. Prior to the 2012 attack, terrorists attacked a school bus carrying children of PAF employees in 2007. On Jan 18, 2008, terrorists fired four rockets at it.

The third attack took place last year.

Currently, Abbas, along with senior aircraftman / supply assistant Shawaiz Khan and corporal technician Mirza Waseem Iqbal, has been charged with failing “to take position at the post”, “to provide requisite assistance to terrorists’ attack” and “to inform the same to PAF URF commander and others through the ‘Motorola’ (handset) during the terrorists’ attack on the said night”.

He was supposed to defend any attack as he is in the Unit Reaction Force (URF). According to a retired PAF official, URF is part of the internal security arrangement in which PAF officials are assigned security duty in addition to their other responsibilities.

“It is a temporary security force of the airbase while PAF commandos similar to the Special Services Group (SSG) of the army are the permanent security guards for PAF installations such as Kamra airbase,” he said.

In his defence, Abbas has pointed to this inadequate training.

In his statement recorded during the court martial proceedings he has stated: “As an airman in PAF, I receive only 3 days ground defence training annually and its syllabus does not include any night firing. I believe I am not at all adequately trained or equipped to counter highly skilled and trained terrorists.”

He further stated: “Despite the adverse circumstance, I did not abandon my post and fired at the enemies as per my best capabilities.”

On the other hand, prosecution witness squadron leader Kashif Amjad Butt in his statement claimed that the accused, Abbas, was equipped with a G-3 rifle with 20 rounds.However, during the cross-examination, the accused asked Butt, “We are given ground defence training once in a year. Is it sufficient to counter highly trained terrorists?” and Mr Butt’s answer, according to the documents, was “No”.

The accused also asked: “[Was] I ever given night firing practice?”

Mr Butt replied, “Since my command no such requirement was raised by the base authority.”

Mr Butt again replied “No” when the accused asked: “Have you ever encountered such type of terrorists’ attack in your entire service?”

Flight Lieutenant Saadur Rehman, another witness who testified against Abbas, said that “during the terrorists’ attack on night of 15/16 August, 2012, I performed the duty of PAF URF commander. At the time of attack he (Abbas) was issued with 1 G-3 rifle along with 1 magazine containing 20 rounds and a Motorola. He (Abbas) was deployed… to safeguard aircraft and equipments. …after the incident, he did not complain… about malfunctioning/stoppage in his rifle. He did not contact me on Motorola throughout the operation which was over by 0345 on August 16, 2012.”

However, it is not just the testimonies that create uncertainty about the role played by Abbas. Interestingly, the PAF authorities on August 28, around 10 days after the airbase attack, declared Abbas the “man of the month” saying that he “is a dedicated, responsible and devoted SNCO. He was detailed as URF guard on the night of August 15, 2012. When the fire broke [out] in the Bravo shed, he tried his best to extinguish the fire….”

Several squadrons of fighters and surveillance planes are said to be housed at the Minhas base at Kamra. Over 30 planes were parked at the base, including JF-17 Thunder fighter jets at the time of attack.

The outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the August attack saying that it was revenge for the May 2011 secret US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad compound.

The airbase, located 70km north of the capital, is a heavily guarded compound with the air force’s Kamra Aeronautical Complex also in its vicinity, where Pakistan assembles and overhauls JF-17 Thunder fighter jets in collaboration with China.