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India-Pakistan
Al-Qaeda India branch's first attack ends in dismal failure as jihadists 'raid wrong ship'
2014-09-13
[The Telegraph] Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, the new group announced last week by Ayman al-Zawahiri to bolster his flagging fortunes, suffered a setback when three of its fighters were killed and seven arrested in its first ever terror attack.

Heavily armed militants attacked a naval dock in Karachi's sea port on Saturday night and targeted what they believed was an American aircraft carrier, but instead found a Pakistan Navy frigate and were overwhelmed before they could cause any damage, investigators said.
Mistook a Pak navy frigate for an aircraft carrier?
Three jihadis were killed in the attack, four were captured and another three arrested the following day on information from interrogations. Two Pakistan Navy guards were wounded in the fighting.

"It was a complete failure, they did not do any kind of damage, some were captured and we caught more, seven so far and may be more to come. They were well-equipped and came with the intention of taking a ship into their custody but they were caught in the initial stages," a senior source close to the investigation told the Telegraph.

Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, the militant group unveiled by Zawahiri last week to demonstrate his clout despite the rise of Islamic State (Isil), claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday and said former Pakistan Navy men had carried it out.
Not well versed on maritime issues, but there is a big difference btwn a frigate and a carrier as I recall. Even novice terrorists should be able to discern the obvious differences. Perhaps the actual mission was simply a to grab a ship for ISIL. Something to continue to obviously monitor there and elsewhere.
Posted by:Besoeker

#4  I'm at a loss for words. In a hypothetical situation where they were right about what type of ship it was, I can't imagine a carrier as being a wiser target choice.
Posted by: Mike N.   2014-09-13 15:55  

#3  Word was they were aiming for a USN "supply ship." Which likely was a Military Sealift (MSC) vessel. Could've looked like an aircraft carrier. Maybe. Sort of...

But hey- I met New Zealanders who thought my post-Korean war refueling ship was nuke-powered.
Posted by: Pappy   2014-09-13 12:35  

#2  And if was a biiiiiiig fuckin frigat
Posted by: Shipman   2014-09-13 09:55  

#1  Mistook a Pak navy frigate for an aircraft carrier?

"Hey, it was dark! Kinda..."
Posted by: Frank G   2014-09-13 09:01  

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