On 8 June 2014, 10 militants armed with automatic weapons, a rocket launcher, suicide vests, and grenades attacked Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan.

According to state media, the attackers were foreigners of Uzbek origin who belonged to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), an Al Qaeda-linked militant organisation that works closely with TTP.

[5][6] Following the attack, the Pakistani military conducted a series of aerial strikes on militant hideouts in the tribal areas along the Afghan border.

According to military sources, a key Uzbek commander and mastermind of the attack, Abu Abdur Rehman Almani, was killed in the operation.

Within 2 hours, eight of the ten militants were shot dead by the Airports Security Force troops and the remaining two blew themselves up when they were cornered.

About 90 minutes after the attack began, hundreds of Rangers, Police and Army troops arrived on the scene but the majority of terrorists had already been eliminated by Airports Security Force.

[23] Two cargo warehouses stored with NATO Supplies i.e. jeeps, drones, medicines and explosives to be exported to Afghanistan caught fire and took 4 days to get reduced to ashes.

Under the prevailing circumstances, even domestic travellers are afraid of visiting Karachi due to the airport attack whereas the rising lawlessness across the city along with live coverage of such incidents by TV channels is likely to keep foreigners, particularly the businessmen and investors, away from Pakistan.

In the photographs, the militants were seen wearing green tunics and white trainers while carrying assault rifles in what appeared to be a mountainous region.

[33] According to Pakistani defence analyst Imtiaz Gul, foreigners including IMU fighters had fled Afghanistan following the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, and had established a presence in the tribal areas along the Afghan border.

The road passing through the outer perimeter of the main terminal is guarded by the Airports Security Force armed with dowsing rods, similar to the ADE 651 fake bomb detectors sold around the world by British conman Jim McCormick, jailed for fraud in 2013.

He went on to say that not only Pakistan, but the security forces of Iraq, Lebanon, Kenya and Thailand still use the ADE 651 despite repeated warnings from the United States to stop using them.

[38] According to some Pakistani officials, among some of the long-term implications of the attack is the fact that it may make foreign airlines wary of expanding operations in Pakistan, with many international air carriers already having scaled back their activities since 2008.

[13] On 11 June, Cathay Pacific Airways notified of a temporary cancellation of its flights to Karachi and stated it would continue to monitor the situation closely.

The same day, Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen also postponed his state visit to Pakistan indefinitely, in view of the prevailing situation.

The meeting was attended by Army chief Raheel Sharif, interior minister Nisar Ali Chaudhry and other high-profile government and military officials.

[48] According to defence analysts, the Karachi airport attack may push Islamabad to put current peace talks with militants on the backstage and lead for an all-out military offensive in North Waziristan and surrounding tribal areas along the Afghan border.

"[49] On 11 June, the Army decided to intensify air strikes on militant hideouts following a conference between top military commanders at the General Headquarters, Rawalpindi.

"[12] According to initial reports provided by the Director-General of the Sindh Rangers, General Rizwan Akhtar, the attackers were foreign nationals and appeared to be Uzbeks.

[53] The Afghan ambassador to Pakistan was summoned following the attack, during which Pakistani officials lodged a protest over anti-Pakistani militants finding sanctuary inside Afghanistan, from where they operate.

[36][61] Geo English initially posted the Sindh Rangers chiefs' statement on Twitter about Indian weapons recovered from the scene.

[72] The National Crisis Management Cell of the Ministry of Interior said weapons and explosives used in the attack may have been transported into the airport building before the militants stormed it, leading to questions over infiltration and flaws in security.

[73] A First Information Report (FIR) was filed in the airport police station on 11 June against the TTP, in which its top leadership including leader Fazlullah and spokesman Shahidullah Shahid were nominated.

[75] Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf political party and a major opposition leader, denounced the attack and heavily criticised the government, calling for the resignation of top officials and noting that "It is a complete failure on the part of the government and state to protect key installations and citizens' lives and those under whose watch this happened must immediately take responsibility and resign.

[77] Information Minister of Sindh Sharjeel Memon criticised the federal government, saying it had failed to react when the attack took place, and credited the army and security institutions for saving the day.