martialed three officers for “negligence” in connection with a dramatic Taliban attack on a naval base in the southern port city of Karachi last year, a spokesman said Tuesday. The brazen, 18-hour assault on Naval Station Mehran last May destroyed two US-supplied surveillance aircraft and killed 10 people on the base. The ability of the militants to penetrate the high-security base led to speculation they may have had inside information or assistance. The three naval officers were punished for “negligence in their duty performance,” but there was no evidence they were linked to the militants or helped them attack the base, said Navy spokesman Commodore Irfanul Haq. He declined to identify the names or ranks of the officers, or provide details about their punishment. Military personnel who are court-martialed in Pakistan can be stripped of their rank and kicked out of the force, depending on the severity of the verdict handed down by the military court. They could also be demoted in rank.
