The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- James Richards
At least four people were killed and 14 were injured after militants stormed the police headquarters in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, according to officials.
Militants attacked the police station with hand grenades and shots were fired, an eyewitness told. Pakistan’s Taliban, known as Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack, according to spokesman Mohammad Khorasani.
Two policemen, two rangers and one civilian were killed in the attack, according to Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui, a senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, the ruling party in Sindh province where Karachi is located.
Of the 14 injured, one is in critical condition, he added.
The siege was brought to an end on Friday, and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah later said the three militants responsible for the attack were killed.
“Three attackers were behind the attack on the Karachi Police office. All three are now dead. The police force, rangers and army helped in resolving this situation. I commend them for their bravery,” he said in a video statement.
During the attack, multiple shots could be heard ringing through the area where the headquarters is located, according to footage from the scene, and eyewitnesses described hearing multiple explosions.
The attack prompted the Sindh provincial government to declare a state of emergency in Karachi, according to its spokesperson, Sharjeel Memon.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the attack. “Terrorists may have forgotten that Pakistan is the nation which defeated terrorism with its bravery and courage,” he tweeted.
Pakistan’s Taliban have been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US State Department since September 2010.
Pakistani authorities have yet to confirm any group’s involvement.
Rescue teams have reached the site of the attack, according to video released by Chhipa Ambulance Service, in which gunfire could be heard.
