Heavily-armed terrorists wearing suicide vests today stormed a key Pakistan Air Force base believed to house nuclear weapons, setting off a fierce gunbattle with the security forces that left seven attackers and one soldier dead and parts of the complex in flames.

Terrorists, some of whom were wearing military uniforms, infiltrated into the Kamra airbase, just 40 kms from the capital, under the cover of darkness at about 2 am breaching three barriers as they attempted to target fighters including F-16 and Chinese made JF-17 aircraft.

The attackers armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons fought their way into one of Pakistan's largest air bases and in the first assault propelled grenades into the base damaging one aircraft.

They engaged the security forces for over eight hours until dawn and according to a PAF spokesman seven terrorists were gunned down by commandos and one security personnel was also killed.
The attack came just a day after US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta expressed fears of danger of Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into the terrorists' hands.

The base in the Attock district of Punjab, is believed to be one of the locations where Pakistan's nuclear stockpiles, estimated to include at least 100 warheads, is stored.

The military's media arm told reporters that the situation at the Kamra airbase was under control and troops were conducting a search operation to ascertain if any more terrorists were inside the complex.The PAFspokesman said one aircraft was damaged when it was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by the attackers. He did not give details of the extent of the damage.