Lagatar24 Desk
Karachi, Feb 18: Nine Armed militants of the Tehreek-e-Taliban (Pakistan) stormed the office of the Karachi Police chief on Friday and opened fire. Five terrorists were killed in a gunfight with security forces who managed to secure back control of the head office building of the Karachi Police chief.
Four other people, including two police constables, a rangers personnel and a civilian were also killed and 17 were injured in the firing, news agency PTI reported.
As the security officials tried to clear the five-storey building, explosions were heard coming from inside the police chief’s office. The powerful explosion shattered the window glass of nearby buildings. The building was under siege for nearly four hours. In the videos from the spot, several rounds of gunshots can be heard. A video also shows the moment an explosion took place inside the building.
Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said on Twitter he could confirm that the Karachi Police Office (KPO) building has been cleared. “Three terrorists have been neutralised,” he said.
He added four other people comprising the two policemen, rangers personnel and a civilian had been killed, while 17 others were admitted to hospital with injuries.
According to reports from local media, hand grenades and automatic guns were used. Following the attack, the Karachi Police and Pakistan Rangers cordoned off the area.
Police also found two cars with their doors open one at the back entrance of the building and one at the front. Senior Police Official, DIG South Irfan Baloch said the terrorists came around 7.10 pm on Friday. Baloch said the bomb disposal squad had combed both cars for explosive devices and also the suicide vests of the terrorists.
The Saddar Police station, located next to the police chief’s office, had also come under attack. “SHO, PI Khalid Hussain Memon said that an unknown accused [attacked] Saddar police station near Karachi Police Office. Firing is going on everywhere,” the Saddar Police station said in a statement.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed the relevant DIGs to send personnel from their zones. He said that an attack on the police chief’s office was “not acceptable”.
“I want the perpetrators behind the attack on the additional IG’s office to be arrested,” Murad Ali Shah was quoted as saying by Dawn.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan took responsibility for the attack. Since the ceasefire agreement between the TTP and the government broke down last year in November, terrorists have stepped up attacks on security forces and installations and even on mosques and markets in different parts of the country, but Karachi has for some time now not witnessed any major incident.
