At around 8:30 pm on Saturday, an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into a Karachi building belonging to Pakistan’s paramilitary force, the Sindh Rangers. Following the blast, terrorists entered the compound and began firing indiscriminately while hurling hand grenades, triggering more explosions.
The Rangers responded immediately, leading to an exchange of fire between security personnel and the attackers. The assailants belonged to Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a militant faction of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), said reliable security forces, according to PTI.
Rescue 1122 Sindh said it received reports of an explosion near Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 5 and immediately dispatched emergency teams from its central command and control centre.
Video | Loud gunfire, explosion in Karachi; Rangers HQ under attack in Pakistan’s biggest city?
A 90-minute gun battle
In response to the attack, authorities sealed off the Rangers compound and the surrounding roads.
Residents were instructed to remain indoors, while some nearby neighbourhoods experienced power outages during the operation. A gun battle lasting around 90 minutes then ensued.
According to PTI, the attackers and Pakistani security forces exchanged fire for about 90 minutes. Special Security Unit (SSU) commandos and the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) joined Rangers personnel in the operation, killing six terrorists and capturing one injured attacker. Four Rangers soldiers were killed in the assault.
Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho said an explosion was heard when the attack began, although it was not immediately clear what had caused it.
“More details are being collected, but initial investigations confirm the terrorists arrived in a vehicle and entered the compound by ramming the main gate. The Rangers personnel responded rapidly,” he said.
Who are Jamaat-ul-Ahrar?
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is a militant faction of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group has largely operated in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, carrying out attacks on civilians, security personnel and government officials.
The last major TTP attack in Karachi took place in February 2023, when militants stormed the Karachi Police Office on Shahrah-e-Faisal, resulting in multiple casualties.
Since late last year, Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies have repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of providing safe haven to the TTP, enabling the group to launch cross-border attacks, according to PTI.
Not to forget, the Pakistani Taliban is a separate organisation from the Taliban in Afghanistan, which regained power in the country, five years ago, in 2021.
Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah has directed the provincial police chief and Karachi’s additional inspector general of police to submit a detailed report on the incident.
(With PTI inputs)
