The city of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest and most commercial, was rocked for several hours by a deadly suicide attack on the police headquarters, leaving three security force members and a civilian dead, and 18 security force members injured. As the sound of gunfire and explosions echoed through the city, authorities struggled to contain the violence, with two suicide bombers killed and at least one detonating a suicide vest after entering the police building.
According to government officials, including Ghulam Nabi Memon, police chief for the southern Sindh province where Karachi is located, the attack began when militants, armed with hand grenades, attempted to force their way into the police headquarters. Pakistan’s interior minister, Rana Sanaullah Khan, confirmed that some of the assailants had thrown hand grenades in their bid to overcome police resistance.
The Pakistani Taliban, an outlawed group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a brief statement, although officials have yet to confirm the exact identity of the perpetrators. The Taliban’s involvement is however likely, given the group’s repeated attempts to undermine the government and disrupt public life in the country.
The attack is the latest in a series of militant assaults that have plagued Pakistan since November, when the Pakistani Taliban ended a months-long ceasefire with the government. The group’s decision to abandon the ceasefire has emboldened other militant outfits, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban, an ally of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Attack on Karachi Police Headquarters Intensifies
The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, where US and NATO troops withdrew in 2021, has given momentum to militant groups in Pakistan, many of whose top leaders and fighters are hiding across the border. The brazen assault on Karachi’s police headquarters underscores the growing threat posed by these groups, and the need for the government to take decisive action to stem the tide of violence.
The attack also comes just two weeks after a suicide bomber disguised as a policeman killed 101 people at a mosque in the north-western city of Peshawar. Authorities blamed the TTP for orchestrating last month’s mosque bombing, and Sarbakaf Mohmand, a TTP commander, claimed responsibility for it.
The struggle to contain the violence in Pakistan is a daunting one, with the government under pressure to protect its citizens from the growing threat of militant attacks. The latest assault on Karachi’s police headquarters serves as a stark reminder of the need for sustained and concerted efforts to counter the scourge of terrorism, and to ensure the safety and security of all Pakistanis.
