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Assault in Karachi is one of several attacks in recent years linked to Islamists working within Pakistan's military
The loss of two Orion P-3C aircraft, valued at $36m (£22.3m) each, is a deep blow to Pakistan's military. But the greater worry is how the Islamist fighters who destroyed them accessed the airfield in the first place.
Everything about the assault on Monday, from the methodical tactics to the targeting of sensitive aircraft suggests the attackers used inside information. "It looks like an inside job. That should be the biggest worry for the military – and for all of us," said security analyst Imtiaz Gul.
The spectre of Islamist infiltration has haunted the army for decades. After surviving an assassination bid in 2003 – one orchestrated by air force officers – General Pervez Musharraf purged the superior ranks of known Islamists.
Extremists are still sprinkled within the lower ranks, however, and have been suspected of involvement in several atrocities, such as the 2007 suicide attack on a commando base and the spectacular assault in 2009 on army headquarters in Rawalpindi. Air force officers were arrested for a separate plot against Musharraf in 2006. perpetrators of some attacks have fled to Waziristan, where they find shelter among jihadi groups that allegedly enjoy covert army support.
