Pakistan: Terrorists enter Karachi police chief’s office

Karachi [Pakistan], February 17 (ANI): Heavily armed terrorists on Friday attacked Karachi police chief’s office situated on the main artery of Sharea Faisal, officials confirmed to Geo News.

A spokesperson for the Sindh Rangers said initial estimates suggest there are eight to ten “armed terrorists”, the Dawn reported.

“Karachi police headquarters under terrorist attack. Karachi police Chief Javed Odho claimed at least six terrorists firing indiscriminately stormed into his office. Random shooting still on,” tweeted Kamran Khan, Editor-in-Chief for the Dunya Media Group.

Police officials said that armed suspects fired several rounds at the head office — located adjacent to the Sadar Police Station, reported Geo News.

At least 8-10 terrorists are inside the police office, they said, with the exchange of firing is still going on despite the passage of more than half an hour.

The attackers hurled hand grenades from the backyard of the police head office and later they entered the four-storey building from the same route.

Police said staffers are still present in the police chief’s office when the attackers carried out explosions and gunfire, reported Ary News.

A rescue official was injured after being shot and has been shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, confirmed hospital sources. It was learnt that the person, who sustained two bullets, was out of danger.

As the police bid to beat the terrorists, Rangers have been called in and the roads leading towards the police office for traffic — to ensure that citizens remain safe, reported Geo News.

Heavy contingents of police forces reached the head office. The lights of the police chief’s office were turned off. Police officials said that they are investigating the number of attackers and their positions.

A besieged police official sent a message to fellow officers that there are more than 10 attackers divided into groups in the police chief’s office, reported Ary News.

The attackers are resorting to firing at police contingents using heavy weaponry from the Karachi Police Office (KPO) backyard.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the attack on the office of the additional inspector-general, instructing several DIGs to send police force to the site.

“The attack on the Karachi police office is not acceptable under any circumstances,” he said, demanding an initial report from the concerned officer immediately, reported Geo News.

Pakistan’s perfect storm of crisis — economic turbulence, plunging currency, political polarization and Islamist militancy — has been compounded by last month’s suicide bombing at a mosque in a highly fortified police compound in Peshawar.

The attack –Pakistan’s deadliest in several years — harked back to a period more than 10 years ago when Peshawar, a city near the former tribal areas that borders Afghanistan, was scarred by violence and a military counteroffensive.

Authorities in Peshawar believe the January 30 attack was in retaliation for the police force’s role on the front line of Pakistan’s battle with a resurgent insurgency since the Taliban returned to power across the border in Afghanistan, reported Arab News.

The suicide bombing was the latest in a string of attacks targeted at security personnel across the country since the terror group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, called off its cease-fire deal with the Pakistan government in November.

At least 100 people were killed, most being the police personnel in the suicide bombing in Peshawar and injured more than 250. (ANI)