Follow up to this story from yesterday.
[Dawn] - • Two gunnies rubbed out, one blows himself up
• Three law enforcers, one civilian martyred; 19 injured during operation by Rangers, army, police
• TTP claims responsibility for attack
Security forces cleared a five-storey police compound on the port city’s main thoroughfare in an hours-long operation during which three gunnies of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
Pakistain (TTP) were killed while two coppers, one Rangers official and a citizen embraced martyrdom on Friday evening.
At least 19 men, mostly police and Rangers officials, sustained injuries in the exchange of fire with gunnies who stormed the heavily guarded Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
Police Office after lobbing a hand grenade at its main entrance, police and hospital officials said.
The outlawed TTP on the social media grabbed credit for the latest ambush, which came as a grim reminder of attacks on Bannu CTD complex and Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistain's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire...
Police Lines mosque in recent months.
Just half an hour after sunset in the port city, officials said, three gunnies parked an Indus Corolla car at the KPO entrance before hurling a hand grenade at the gate. Wearing shalwar kameez, the gunnies brought with them "three bags of food", indicating their preparation for a prolonged siege, DIG East-Zone Muquddas Haider, who was among the senior officers leading the operation, told Dawn on late Friday night.
While officials initially said exact number of gunnies could not be ascertained who attacked the metropolis police chief office at around 7:10pm, Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister Barrister Murtaza Wahab after midnight shared details of 23 casualties — four martyred and 19 injured — on Twitter.
He earlier had tweeted, "The latest information is that 4 people were martyred (2 coppers, 1 rangers & 1 civilian) while 14 people are injured, who are being treated. Out of the injured 1 person is critical while the condition of 13 injured persons is stable."
Multiple explosions were heard during the joint operation, which was completed at 10:48pm, by Pakistain Rangers, army and police personnel.
DIG Haider said there were three attackers, all clad in shalwar kameez. One of them went
kaboom!on the fourth floor of the building during the operation, while two others were rubbed out on the rooftop, he said.
Footage shared on social media, though unverified, showed flames and smoke emitting from the top floor of the highrise, with the sound of a kaboom and a man uttering ’God is great’ while cautioning people to stay away and that another blast might occur.
Both tracks of the busy Sharea Faisal, which links the city centre with airport, remained shut for traffic for hours during the clearance operation.
According to Rangers’ spokesperson, an officer of brigadier rank led the anti-terrorist operation during which all five floors of the building were cleared at night.
In a statement, police spokesperson said this was a major operation, which was completed by DIGs of RRF, South and East, respectively, as well as Rangers and army personnel.
During the operation, according to the police, one terrorist blew up an explosive jacket while the police firing left his two accomplices others dead.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also reached the Command and Control Centre at IGP office after receiving information about the attack and monitored the operation.
He directed the DIGs concerned and the Rangers officers to send personnel from their respective zones to the site.
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that three bodies of law enforcers and a civilian were brought at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. She said the martyred officials were identified as police constable Ghulam Abbas and Rangers sub-inspector Taimur, while the identity of another police official could not be ascertained immediately.
A civilian, Ajmal Masih, was also among the dear departed, the police surgeon added.
The Rangers spokesperson later said the martyred SI Taimur originally hailed from Multan
...Home of the Multan Sultans..., adding that their six personnel were also injured during the operation.
According Dr Syed, some of the injured were identified as Edhi worker Sajid, Rangers personnel Abdul Raheem, Imran, Tahir, Umair, Abdul Latif and Aftab, and coppers Latif, Abdul Khaliq, Rizwan, Haji Abdul Razzaq and Sarab.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, meanwhile, told Geo News that the federal government was in touch with the Sindh police.
He said he had spoken to the chief secretary and IGP who confirmed that six to seven hard boyz entered the building by hurling a hand grenade after parking the vehicle. Since a general security threat existed following the Peshawar mosque attack, all the institutions were fully alert across the country, he said.