Taliban militants kill at least 20 at Pakistani military base, mosque

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- At least 20 people died Friday after a Taliban attack on a mosque at the Badaber military base near Peshawar, Pakistan, military officials said.

Asim Bajwa, spokesman for the Pakistani military, said 13 Taliban militants, wearing police uniforms, entered the 10-acre base from two directions. As security officials countered them, at least one entered the mosque and began firing at worshippers attending morning prayers.

Bajwa said all 13 attackers were killed and another 10 people at the base were injured. Four military personnel, an army captain and three air force technicians died in battles outside the mosque.

The incident is the highest-profile assault by the Pakistani Taliban in the area since 145 people -- mostly children -- were killed in an attack on a school in 2014. The nearby city of Peshawar, six miles away, has been a frequent target for the Taliban, which took responsibility for Friday's attack.

The air base was built in the 1950s by the United States as a listening post to capture radio messages from the Soviet Union. It is now more residential than operational.

The attack comes after the Pakistani government said its military's 15-month operation against the Taliban has been a success. The air base attack could be a demonstration by militants of their ability to still hit fortified targets.