Karachi, Jun 28 : Pakistani security forces killed six terrorists and captured one injured militant after foiling a major attack on a Sindh Rangers compound in Karachi on Saturday night. Four Rangers personnel were killed in the assault, marking the city’s first major terrorist attack since October 2024.
According to security sources, the attackers, identified as members of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), stormed the Sindh Rangers’ Bhittai Wing headquarters in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area around 8.30 pm.
A fierce gun battle lasting nearly 90 minutes ensued after Rangers personnel responded swiftly. Reinforcements from the Special Security Unit (SSU) and the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) joined the operation, killing six militants and capturing another alive.
The attack claimed the lives of four Rangers personnel.
Authorities sealed off the area following the assault, while residents were advised to remain indoors. Power outages were reported in some nearby localities during the operation.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar later claimed responsibility for the attack. The group, a militant faction of the TTP, has primarily operated in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, targeting security forces, government officials and civilians.
According to preliminary investigations, the militants rammed a vehicle through the main gate of the Rangers compound before entering the premises and hurling hand grenades, triggering multiple explosions.
Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho said Rangers personnel responded immediately after the attackers breached the compound, leading to an intense exchange of gunfire. He added that an explosion was heard at the start of the attack, though its exact cause was yet to be determined.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed senior police officials to submit a detailed report on the incident, while Rescue 1122 Sindh dispatched emergency teams to the site following reports of explosions.
The attack comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led administration of providing safe haven to TTP militants, allegations denied by Kabul. Pakistan has, in recent months, carried out strikes targeting suspected TTP hideouts across the border.
