The siege in Karachi's naval air station ended on Monday afternoon after the brazen attack storming Pakistan navy’s key airbase in the heart of the port city of Karachi for nearly 12 hours which has left at least 12 soldiers dead, reports on TV channels said.

The troops are now said to be mopping up” after the raid. The attackers were said to have taken hostages after raiding the Mehran naval aviation base overnight. Some militants may still be in the compound, the officials told NDTV.

Reports suggest that five terrorists have been killed and seven others arrested. The identity of the arrested men is not known. The Pakistan Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, they said it was a revenge attack for Osama bin Laden's killing on May 2.

Commandos of the Pakistan Navy and the elite Special Service Group (SSG) were deployed to flush out the militants. The militants apparently entered the naval base and hangers through the Pakistan Air Force museum, a source said.

The terrorists in a well coordinated attack sneaked into the complex, reportedly housing US-acquired P-3C Orions, long-range maritime reconnaissance planes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles and were locked in continuing gun battle with the security forces.

The high-security area where the attack occurred also houses the Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) Southern Air Command, Air War College and museum as well as PNS Mehran.

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