One cop and a civilian were killed and several injured after heavily-armed militants on Friday stormed the Karachi police chief’s office in Pakistan. Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said that two people were killed and 11 people were injured so far, Dawn reported.
A spokesperson of Karachi Police confirmed in a statement that the police chief’s head office in Shahrae Faisal, Karachi’s main thoroughfare with a number of strategic installations, including an airforce base, had come under attack.
A spokesperson for the Sindh Rangers said eight to ten “armed terrorists” were involved in the attack, Dawn reported. Inspector General (IG) of Sindh Police said three terrorists were killed in the exchange of fire, Pakistan’s ARY News reported.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistan Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.
The terrorists first threw half a dozen hand grenades into the main compound of the Karachi police chief’s office building and then entered the premises. Paramilitary rangers and police have launched an operation to flush out the gunmen.
A spokesperson for the Sindh Rangers said there are eight to ten “armed terrorists”, Dawn reported. Three floors of the five-storey building have been cleared so far, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told Dawn.
One of the deceased has been identified as police constable Ghulam Abbas. An Edhi Foundation spokesperson identified the second deceased as Ajmal Masih, 40.
“Condemn the terrorist attack on Karachi police. Sindh police have bravely faced and crushed terrorism before. We have full faith they will do so again, such cowardly attacks will not deter us,” tweeted Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto.
The attack comes at a time when several foreign cricket players are currently competing in the Pakistan Super League, with Karachi being one of the host cities.
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in militant attacks since November when Pakistani Taliban ended a months-long ceasefire with the government.
Last month, a Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque filled with worshippers during afternoon prayers in Pakistan’s restive northwestern Peshawar city, killing over 100 people, mostly policemen.