An airbase that shares a runway with a civilian airport in western Pakistan came under attack by unidentified militants on Thursday night.

Five to six insurgents hid themselves in a storm drain about half a kilometre away from Quetta International Airport and fired rockets on the Samugli airbase, which shares a runway with Quetta, according to Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune.

The gunmen encountered soldiers as they made their way onto the air base. An intense gunfight ensued, with militants firing automatic weapons and throwing grenades.

The military repelled the assailants. The air force dispatched helicopters to conduct aerial surveillance after cordoning off the area. No group has claimed responsibility yet.

Meanwhile, four bombs struck another airbase in Quetta, Reuters reported. The attackers have not yet been identified.

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