Pakistan’s military said they killed at least three militants and foiled a terrorist attack in the port city of Karachi on Saturday night.
Three security personnel were also killed and four wounded when the militants detonated a bomb and opened fire at a camp of the Sindh Rangers, a federal paramilitary, in the city.
The military claimed that they captured a fourth attacker and identified him as an Afghan national.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after it occurred.
The military described the group as an Indian proxy but offered no evidence to support the allegation.
India was yet to respond to the allegation.
Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud blast followed by gunfire at around 8pm local time along a major road near several universities and Pakistan’s meteorological department.
open image in galleryMohammad Bakhsh, 40, said he was praying at a nearby mosque when he heard the explosion. “The ground felt like it does when there is an earthquake,” he said. “When we came out there was smoke everywhere. Then the gunfire started.”
He added that the firing went on for around 15 minutes.
The military said operations were continuing in the area and warned that it would retaliate against those responsible for the assault.
Pakistan has carried out airstrikes inside neighbouring Afghanistan in recent months, claiming to target militants responsible for attacks on its territory.
The military’s media office said the militants detonated a bomb near the camp’s main gate to breach the perimeter security. “However, their nefarious designs were decisively foiled by the vigilant and resolute response of Rangers troops,” it said.
Kabul has repeatedly denied allowing militant groups to use Afghan territory to launch cross-border attacks.
open image in galleryPakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the three Rangers “martyred” in the assault and expressed condolences to their families.
He also wished the wounded a speedy recovery in a statement issued by his office.
He praised the sacrifices of Pakistan’s security forces in the fight against militancy and reaffirmed the country’s resolve to eliminate terrorism.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and praised security forces for repelling it.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks targeting police and security forces in recent years. Saturday’s attack was the most significant in Karachi since an explosion targeted a Chinese convoy in October 2024 and killed two Chinese nationals.