Three members of Pakistan’s paramilitary Rangers force were killed and four others wounded after heavily armed militants stormed the force’s provincial headquarters in the southern city of Karachi, officials said on Sunday, reports AFP.
The assault began late on Saturday when a militant rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the main entrance of the Rangers headquarters in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar area, triggering a powerful blast before gunmen launched an assault on the compound, according to police and witnesses.
Security forces engaged the attackers in an intense gun battle before regaining control of the facility.
Pakistan’s military said three attackers were killed and a fourth, identified as an Afghan national, was captured after being wounded. Military operations were continuing to hunt down any remaining accomplices.
Earlier, Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho told local media that at least four attackers had been killed during the operation. Initial reports suggested five to nine militants had taken part in the assault.
The military confirmed that three Rangers personnel were killed and four others injured in the attack.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP), claimed responsibility for the assault shortly after it occurred.
President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the Rangers personnel killed in what he described as a terrorist attack, expressing condolences to their families and wishing the injured a speedy recovery. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to eliminate militancy.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the attack and praised security forces for repelling the assault.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said he had ordered a detailed report after receiving information about the explosion and exchange of gunfire.
Security forces sealed off roads around the Mosamiat Chowrangi area while Special Security Unit commandos, anti-terrorism personnel and Rangers troops carried out a clearance operation.
The Edhi Foundation, Pakistan’s largest ambulance service, said at least two civilians were wounded and taken to hospital.
The attack underscores a renewed wave of militant violence targeting Pakistan’s security forces. Islamabad has repeatedly accused militants based in Afghanistan of carrying out cross-border attacks and has conducted air strikes inside Afghanistan in recent years.
Kabul has consistently denied allowing its territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan. The Taliban government in Afghanistan is separate from the Pakistani Taliban, which has intensified attacks on security personnel across Pakistan in recent years.
