Karachi: Militants storm Karachi police station, 7 dead; gunfire, loud explosions heard

KARACHI: Militants launched a deadly suicide attack on the police headquarters of Pakistan’s largest city on Friday, officials said, as the sound of gunfire and explosions rocked the heart of Karachi for several hours. Two police officers and a civilian were killed and 18 security force members wounded, according to government officials and Ghulam Nabi Memon, police chief for the southern Sindh province where Karachi is located. Two suicide bombers were killed and at least one blew himself up after entering the police building, officials said. A huge explosion was heard inside the station after a series of blasts when it was first attacked.

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), took responsibility for the attack in a message sent by their spokesman to journalists. Murtaza Wahab, a government adviser, confirmed that police and paramilitary med responsibility for it.
The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), took responsibility for the attack in a message sent by their spokesman to journalists. Murtaza Wahab, a government adviser, confirmed that police and paramilitary forces in a joint operation had cleared the police building within three hours of the attack late Friday. “I confirm that the operation against the terrorists is over,” said Wahab.

Earlier, TV footage showed officers surrounding the city’s central police station as residents reported the sound of explosions and the gunfire.
Pakistan’s interior minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said some of the militants threw hand grenades as they tried to force their way into the police headquarters. Residents said they also heard the sound of explosions amid the clashes.

The brazen assault on Karachi’s police headquarters comes two weeks after a suicide bomber disguised as a policeman killed 101 people at a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Authorities blamed the TTP for orchestrating last month’s mosque bombing and Sarbakaf Mohmand, a TTP commander, claimed responsibility for it. Overseas cricket players are competing in the Pakistan Super League, and Karachi is one of the host cities. There is a game scheduled for Saturday. The police station is located along the route to the stadium and the players’ hotel is a few kilometres away. Top teams shunned Pakistan for years after six policemen and two civilians were killed in a 2009 attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.
Watch Video: TTP terrorists storm police headquarters in Karachi, Pakistan