PESHAWAR, Dec 17: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain has said that the militants, who attacked Bacha Khan International Airport on Saturday night, had planned to take over important security installations and local TV station in the cantonment area.

“We have reports that if attackers had entered the airbase then they would have received more backup from their standby associates in the adjacent tribal agency,” he said while speaking on a point of order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday.

The minister said that 10 militants were killed in the attack on the airport while one was arrested in wounded condition.

He said that foreigners of Dagestan and Uzbek origins were involved in the attack.

He said that all the militants involved in the attack had different tattoos on their bodies.

He said that members of terrorist organisations carved tattoos on their bodies to identify each other.

Mr Hussain did not disclose the name of the wounded terrorist, who is under treatment. However, he said that the injured militant was in stable condition.

“They (militants) had planned to seize important military installations, a nearby station of the state-run Pakistan Television, after entering the airbase,” he said and added that local people and law enforcement agencies jointly thwarted the nefarious plan of terrorists.

The minister said that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan spokesman had also stated that 10 people were sent on the mission with two explosive-laden vehicles, rockets and hand grenades.

Mr Hussain said that one army man, two policemen and six civilians were killed while two more police constables suffered injuries in the operation.

He assured the house that government would compensate the local people whose properties were damaged as a result of militants’ attack.

The minister condemned killing of tribal people in a car bomb attack in Jamrud, Khyber Agency on Monday and asked federal government to properly compensate the affected families.

Meanwhile, absence of ministers again affected the assembly’s business and Speaker Kiramatullah Khan Chagharmatti kept adjournment motions and call attention notices pending.

Taking notice of the absence of ministers, speaker directed information minister to relieve those cabinet members, who did not attend the session. “Why not to relieve habitual absenting ministers,” he asked the information minister.

Earlier, during question-answer session member of e Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal from Lakki Marwat Naseer Mohammad Maidadkhel said that army had turned district headquarters hospital in his area into a base and the building was badly damaged.

He said that security forces had fitted heavy artillery on the hospital’s premises and cracks had appeared in the building due to firing. He said that government should evacuate troops from the hospital and provide them suitable place.

The lawmaker said that posts of doctors and paramedics were lying vacant in the district headquarters hospital in Lakki Marwat.

He said that health facilities in the district were in bad shape and government failed to fulfil basic needs of the people.

Law Minister Barrister Arshad Abdullah, replying on the behalf of health minister, said that the building would be repaired properly and more doctors and staff would be posted at health facilities.

The minister presented The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Payment of Wages Bill, 2012 for consideration of the house.