Minhas Air Force Base, Kamra | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
Owner | Government of Pakistan | ||||||||||
Operator | Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||||
Location | Attock | ||||||||||
Commander | Agha Mehr Gul | ||||||||||
Occupants |
Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 1,023 ft / 312 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 33°52′8″N 72°24′3″E / 33.86889°N 72.40083°E | ||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Pakistan Air Force Base, Minhas ( IATA: ATG, ICAO: OPMS) is a PAF Airbase located at (Kamra Cantt) Attock District, Punjab, Pakistan. It was named in the honour of Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, who was awarded the Nishan-e-Haider for valor in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Pakistan Aeronautical Complex is located in Minhas Airbase which manufactures aircraft like CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder, PAC MFI-17 Mushshak, Hongdu JL-8. It also rebuilds aircraft like the Dassault Mirage and Chengdu F-7. [1] Currently, PAF Base Minhas is equipped with JF-17 aircraft operated by No.16 Squadron also called "Black Panthers".
On 16 August 2012, nine Tehrik-e-Taliban militants assaulted PAF Base Minhas at about 2 am. After a pitched battle all nine attackers were killed while two Pakistani security officials also died. [2] The base commander, Air Commodore Muhammad Azam, was reported wounded in the attack as well. [3] [1] The militants also destroyed one Saab 2000 Erieye plane [4] and damaged one [5] or two others. [6]