Militants storm office of Karachi police chief

Militants yesterday stormed the office of the Karachi police chief in southern Pakistan, which was cleared after hours-long operation that left at least three gunmen dead.

"I can so far confirm that the Karachi Police Office (KPO) building has been cleared. Three terrorists have been neutralised," said Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab on Twitter at 10:42pm, three-and-a-half hours after the attack occurred.

Speaking to Geo News separately, he reiterated that the building had been secured. He said that the bomb disposal squad was checking if the jackets worn by the militants were rigged to detonate.

Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab also gave a breakdown of the civilian deaths during the attack, saying they included two policemen, one Rangers official and one civilian.

The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued by its spokesperson Mohammad Khurasani. In 2011, TTP had claimed the attack on PNS Mehran -- one of the most densely populated naval bases located in Karachi.

DIG East Muqaddas Haider, who was among the senior officers leading the operation yesterday, told Dawn.com, that there were a total of three attackers who arrived at the KPO in a Toyota Corolla.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Karachi police said all three terrorists who attacked the KPO had been killed in the operation. The spokesperson said that this was a "major operation" in which senior police officials, including the South and East DIGs, had participated alongside the Rangers and the army.

"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.

Reports of firing on Sharea Faisal -- Karachi's main thoroughfare with a number of strategic installations, including the Pakistan Airforce's Faisal Base -- emerged around 7:15pm. Extra police contingents and Rangers were called to the site of the attack.

Speaking to Geo News, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the attack took place around 7:10pm. He said that the city police chief was not currently in Karachi.

South DIG Irfan Baloch earlier said "spectacular" firing was ongoing but the situation would be brought under control. He had, however, refused to comment on the number of people injured, saying that it could only be confirmed once officials would sweep the area.

He said that the entire city's police force had been called to the scene, in addition to the Rangers and the Quick Response Force (QRF). He further said that the attackers had also lobbed hand grenades. He said that the attackers had come "fully prepared" and were putting up a "tough fight".

Sindh Health Department's spokesperson Mehar Khursheed shared a list of the casualties with Dawn.com, which said four people were brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) dead, and 19 injured.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the police and security forces for their effective action against the terrorists.

He instructed the interior minister to extend the federal government's full cooperation in the clean-up operation. He underlined the need for collective action to root out the menace of terrorism.

He added that terrorists had once again targeted Karachi but said that these kind of cowardly acts would not weaken the resolve of law enforcement agencies.