According to sources, the Karachi police chief’s office has been cleared after being attacked on Friday night by armed terrorists. They also stated that at least three terrorists had been killed.
“I can so far confirm that the Karachi Police Office (KPO) building has been cleared. Three terrorists have been neutralized,” said Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab on Twitter at 10:42pm, three-and-a-half hours after the attack occurred.
I can so far confirm that the KPO building has been cleared. 3 terrorists have been neutralised
— Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui (@murtazawahab1) February 17, 2023
He reaffirmed that the building had been seized in a second interview with a nearby news outlet. He claimed that the bomb squad was determining if the terrorists’ jackets were set up to explode.
The operation was finished, and the area was being cleared, according to a spokeswoman for the Sindh Rangers.
Terrorists Attack on KPO Details
Three assailants total arrived to the KPO in a Toyota Corolla, according to DIG East Muqaddas Haider, one of the senior police overseeing the operation.
According to Haider, two of the attackers were shot dead on the roof, while one of them detonated himself on the fourth floor of the building.
The three terrorists who attacked the KPO were all killed in the operation, according to a statement from a Karachi police official.
The statement said that the Rangers, the army, and senior police officers, including the South and East DIGs, had all taken part in this “major operation.”
“With grace of Almighty Allah, the KPO and surrounding areas have been cleared of the terrorists completely and further information will be shared with the media soon,” the police statement said.
By 7:15 p.m., reports of gunfire on Sharah-e-Faisal, Karachi’s main boulevard and the location of several vital installations, including the Pakistan Air Force’s Faisal Base, surfaced. Rangers and more police units were dispatched to the attack’s scene.
Murad Ali Shah, the chief minister of Sindh, stated that the incident occurred around 7:10 p.m. in an interview with a local news station. He said that the Karachi police head wasn’t present at the time.
The spokesperson for the Sindh government requested that people remain in their current locations while Sharah-e-Faisal was closed to traffic during the operation.
It had also been attacked, according to a statement from the Saddar police station, which is close to the police chief’s office.
“SHO, PI Khalid Hussain Memon said that unknown accused [attacked] Saddar police station near Karachi Police Office. Firing is going on everywhere,” the initial statement had said.
Earlier, South DIG Irfan Baloch told a media organization that “spectacular” firing was taking place, but he also promised that things would be brought under control.
He said that in addition to the Rangers and the Quick Reaction Force (QRF), the whole city’s police force had been summoned to the area.
He added that the assailants had also thrown hand grenades. According to him, the assailants were “fully prepared” and putting up a “tough fight.”
Karachi is one of the host cities for the Pakistan Super League, which features international cricket stars. On Saturday (today), a game is scheduled.
Casualties in Terrorists Attack on KPO
The Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) received four patients who were brought there dead and 19 who were injured, according to a list of the victims provided to the news agency by Sindh Health Department spokeswoman Mehar Khursheed.
The fatalities were broken down into three categories earlier by the Sindh government’s spokeswoman, Murtaza Wahab: two cops, a Rangers official, and a civilian.
The latest information is that 4 people were martyred (2 policemen, 1 rangers & 1 civilian) while 14 people are injured, who are being treated. Out of the injured 1 person is critical while the condition of 13 injured persons is stable.
— Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui (@murtazawahab1) February 17, 2023
TTP Claims Responsibility of Terrorists Attack on KPO
In a statement released by Mohammad Khurasani, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an illegal organization, claimed responsibility for the attack.
One of Karachi’s busiest naval outposts, PNS Mehran, was attacked in 2011 and TTP claimed responsibility.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah informed the local news agency that the authorities believed the terrorists had no access outside of KP and Balochistan while commenting on KPO’s attack. “But now we can see they can reach other cities,” he said.
To read our blog on “TTP terrorists threatened to attack parliament are arrested by ICT,” click here.
