Sindh CTD registers KPO gun attack case

KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Sindh has registered a case against the attackers and their facilitators associated with the deadly attack on the Karachi Police Office.

Police saw one of the deadliest encounters when terrorists in form of a suicide squad stormed the multi-storey building of the Karachi police chief's office at Sharea Faisal, the main artery of the port city. All the terrorists were killed and the KPO building was cleared after a successful operation by law enforcement agencies (LEA) assisted by the Pakistan Army, but at the cost of four precious lives cops, a rangers personnel and a civilian.

The case has been registered on behalf of the Saddar Police Station's station house officer, under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Explosives Act, 1884, and sections related to murder, attempted murder, and others of the Pakistan Penal Code.

As per the FIR, the attack was reported via wireless at 7:15pm of Friday and the SHO reached the site of the incident at 7:20pm and sought the police force.

The FIR stated that an operation against the terrorists was planned under the supervision of Deputy Inspector General Irfan Baloch. Three terrorists were involved in the terror attack, one of whom was killed in a retaliatory fire on the fourth floor of the building, it added.

The second terrorist blew himself up on the third floor while the third one was also killed in retaliation by the LEAs personnel.

"The two terrorists who were gunned down were also wearing suicide vests," said the FIR, adding that the body parts of the terrorist who exploded himself had been recovered.

Meanwhile, the police said that the case was filed on February 18 at 4:30pm.

It also stated that four people, including Rangers and police personnel, were martyred in the attack while 18 were injured.

The FIR added that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) "claimed responsibility" for the attack on social media.

"The terrorists entered the premises by cutting the barbed wire affixed on the rear wall of the family quarters built near the police line," it said. The three terrorists reached the Saddar police line in a car, while two accomplices came on a motorcycle; the car had later been taken into custody, it added.

It further said that the two terrorists riding the motorcycle had indicated the KPO as the target for the assailants.

The FIR also stated the details of ammunition recovered during the clearance operation after the attack. The recovered items included five grenaded, two suicide jackets, which had been defused.

Search launched for slain terrorists' families

Meanwhile, the sources within the police said that a search operation was launched to trace the families for two of the slain terrorists

Terrorist Zala Noor and suicide bomber Majeed Nizami belonged to Datta Khel of North Waziristan while the third one identified as Kifayatullah belonged to Lakki Marwat, said the sources.

Two of the terrorists have been identified and both of them had internally displaced persons (IDPs) status.