Pakistan’s Jinnah International Airport reopened, a day after a deadly terrorist attack that killed at least 36 people.

The airport was attacked by ten militants on Sunday, who were armed with automatic weapons, a rocket launcher, suicide vests and grenades.

Wearing uniforms of the Airports Security Force (ASF), the attackers used fake IDs to enter the airport, broke through a security checkpoint in a van and attacked the airport’s cargo terminal.

The militants were planning to destroy and hijack aircraft, as well as take hostages.

"The security force’s valiant efforts defeated the terrorists and the national assets were saved."

However, hundreds of Special Services Group commandos arrived on the scene and began battling the militants, which resulted in a five-hour gun battle.

All ten attackers were killed in the assault, which also resulted in the deaths of several airport workers, ten security force members and four employees of Pakistani International Airlines. No passengers were harmed in the attack.

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"The terrorists had a plan to bring down our aviation industry," said Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, a spokesman for prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

"The security force’s valiant efforts defeated the terrorists and the national assets were saved."

The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in response to army’s air strikes in areas along the Afghan border, where the insurgents were based.

The airport was cleared and handed over to the ASF and the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan, and it has been confirmed that the flights have resumed service .