Three paramilitary personnel and three terrorists were killed during an assault on the local headquarters of Pakistan's Sindh Rangers in Karachi's Gulistan-i-Jauhar locality on Saturday, according to Sindh Inspector General Javed Alam Odho, as reported by Dawn.
Attack Details and Security Response
Odho stated that the terrorists rammed the main gate with their vehicle. Initially, authorities could not confirm whether a blast had also occurred. A mopping-up operation was underway, and the area had been sealed by Special Security Unit (SSU) commandos, the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF), and Rangers personnel.
Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn that one injured paramilitary trooper was brought to the hospital with gunshot wounds to the leg. Earlier, law enforcers rushed to the site after reports of heavy firing and an explosion. The general area was also sealed by police. Rescue 1122 Sindh said it had received reports of an explosion near Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 5 and dispatched teams from its central command and control centre.
Claim of Responsibility and Broader Context
An affiliate of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter armed group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack late on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported. The group said that nine attackers took part in the assault. This incident comes as Pakistan's security forces are being targeted across the country.
Earlier, on February 7, the United States Embassy in Pakistan issued a security alert for American citizens following reports of a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in the Tarlai Kalan area on the outskirts of Islamabad. At least 31 people died and 169 were injured in that suicide bombing at an Imambargah in Islamabad during Friday prayers, according to Dawn. Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry told the media that while the attacker was not an Afghan, authorities had determined through forensic tests the number of times he had travelled to Afghanistan.
