In a major security breach, terrorists stormed the Sindh Rangers’ Bhittai Wing headquarters in Pakistan’s Karachi, triggering a fierce gun battle with security forces. Six terrorists and four soldiers were killed in the exchange of fire.
The attack on the Bhittai headquarters, located in the densely populated Gulistan-e-Jauhar area, took place around 8:30 pm on Saturday. According to reports, the gunmen belonged to Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a militant faction of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The encounter lasted nearly 90 minutes and ended after Special Security Unit (SSU) commandos and the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) joined Rangers personnel. Residents were advised to remain indoors, while some nearby neighbourhoods experienced power outages during the operation.
A Dawn report quoted the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as sayng that the assailants, after detonating an explosion at the main gate of the camp, attempted to breach perimeter security.
“However, their nefarious designs were decisively foiled by the vigilant and resolute response of Rangers troops, eliminating three kharijis and capturing one khariji, who is an Afghan national, in injured condition,” the ISPR said.
It further alleged that the attackers were “India-sponsored” and stated that Pakistan will undertake retaliatory operations against those responsible for the attack.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar largely operates in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan. It has carried out several attacks on civilians, security personnel, and government officials.
The latest assault marks the first terrorist attack in Karachi since October 2024, when two Chinese engineers were killed in a suicide bombing near Karachi airport, an attack claimed by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army.
