Attack on Rangers Headquarters in Karachi: 7 killed including security personnel

Darwin, 28 June : At least three security personnel were killed in an armed attack on the Sindh Rangers headquarters in Karachi, while four attackers were also killed, according to police.

A report by Reuters on Sunday said the incident took place on Saturday evening in the Gulistan-e-Johar area in eastern Karachi.

Sindh Police Inspector General Javed Alam Odho said initial information indicates that the attackers rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the main gate of the Rangers headquarters. After that, several heavily armed attackers entered the compound.

Mohammad Bakhsh, a 40-year-old restaurant owner in the area, said he was praying at a nearby mosque when he heard a loud explosion.

He said, “It felt like an earthquake. When we came outside, there was smoke everywhere… then gunfire started.” He added that the shooting continued for about 15 minutes.

A Reuters reporter at the scene said the gunfire had stopped and the situation was now calm.

This is the most significant attack in Karachi since an explosion targeting a Chinese convoy in October 2024 killed two Chinese nationals.

Following the incident, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah issued a statement calling for strict action and ordered officials to submit detailed reports on the explosion and shooting.

Security forces cordoned off the entire area after the attack. Special Security Unit (SSU), Anti-Terrorism Force, and Rangers personnel are jointly conducting operations at the site.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In recent times, armed attacks on security forces have increased in various parts of Pakistan. While such attacks have become relatively rare in major cities, rising militancy in areas near the Afghanistan border has raised concerns about a possible return of urban violence.