Security forces identify two terrorists involved in Karachi attack

Of the three militants killed in retaliatory action, the two who have been identified hailed from K-P

KARACHI:

Security forces have identified two of the terrorists involved in the attack on the Karachi Police Office (KPO) on Friday evening, Express News reported on Saturday.

Of the three militants killed in the retaliatory action by the security forces, two terrorists hailed from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

The terrorist who blew himself up during the security operation was identified as Kifayatullah, son of Miraz Ali Khan and a resident of Wanda Amir, Lakki Marwat.

The second terrorist was identified as Zala Noor, son of Wazir Hasan, who hailed from North Waziristan.

The police office building reportedly suffered significant damage during the attack. Many walls a pockmarked with bullets while windows and doors have been destroyed.

A suicide bomber had detonated himself on the stairs adjacent to the elevator in front of the Karachi police chief's office, causing severe damage to the office on the fourth floor.

As a result of the explosion, the elevator has also become inoperable, while important office records and equipment are scattered everywhere. As a result of the explosion, the plaster, and tiles of the walls have also been torn off.

Read PM Shehbaz condemns Karachi terrorist attack, calls for 'collective action'

The Karachi police also shared a video of the attack, showing DIG East Muqadas Haider and his gunman Taimur fighting off the terrorists.

کراچی پولیس آفس میں دہشت گردوں کا حملہ۔

حملے کے دوران ڈی آئی جی ایسٹ مقدس حیدر اور ان کے گن مین تیمور نے دہشت گردوں کا مقابلہ کرتے ہوئے آخری دہشت گرد کو جمنم واسل کیا۔#KarachiPolice #TerrorAttack #KarachiPoliceAttack pic.twitter.com/GEJZTXbo3Y

— Karachi Police (@KarachiPolice_) February 17, 2023

'Additional IG targeted'

DIG South Irfan Baloch claimed that the terrorists were targeting the Karachi Additional IG, noting that they had known which floor his office was on.

According to the Karachi police, the terrorists had been planning the attack for a month and had visited the police office before, Express News reported.

"The terrorists continued to gather information for a month. They had come to the office of Additional IG Karachi," said DIG Baloch

He further said that after the terrorists completed their surveillance, the attack took place. "The terrorists came in a vehicle from Saddar," he added.

The attack

A day earlier, terrorists wearing suicide vests and carrying automatic weapons and grenades attacked the Karachi Police Office. Two policemen and a Sindh Rangers trooper were among four people martyred, while 16 others sustained injuries.

The attack, claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), began between 7 pm and 7:30 pm on Friday evening. The assailants first entered a local mosque near the KPO under the cover of indiscriminate fire.

As soon as the incident was reported, police, Rangers and the Special Security Unit personnel and officers from other agencies and trained commandos reached the spot. Sharea Faisal was closed to traffic, while the electricity supply was also cut off in the area.

During the initial operation, a terrorist wearing a suicide vest blew himself up on the fourth floor of the building. After that, the police and Rangers commandos started searching the upper floors of the building.

During that time, the area reverberated with heavy gunfire and loud explosions from inside the compound. Finally, the terrorists reached the roof of the building where they hunkered down until they were killed by the Rangers and police commandos in a tough gunfight.

“Four people were killed in the attack, including two policemen, one Ranger, and one sanitary worker,” Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui said. “The operation has concluded with the killing of all three terrorists,” he added.