3 personnel martyred as attack on Rangers facility in Karachi foiled: ISPR

Three security personnel were martyred during an exchange of fire after a terrorist attack last night on a Rangers facility in Karachi was “decisively foiled”. the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday.

The attack on the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) Camp. located in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, was carried out by terrorists “belonging to Indian proxy, Jamaatul Ahrar”, the ISPR said in a statement.

The military’s media affairs wing added: “The assailants. after a blast at [the] main gate of the Camp, attempted to breach the perimeter security.

“However, their nefarious designs were decisively foiled by the vigilant. resolute response of Rangers troops, eliminating threekharijisand capturing onekhariji, who is an Afghan national, in injured condition.”

The Pakistani government uses the termkhariji(outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan.

The ISPR said that during the fire exchange, “three brave sons of soil, rendered the ultimate sacrifice. embraced martyrdom in the line of duty, while four soldiers are injured”.

The military asserted. “Pakistan shall undertake retribution operations against the perpetrators of this attack to avenge the martyrdom of its soldiers”.

Sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other “Indian-sponsored” terrorists in the area, ISPR said.

It affirmed that the “relentless counterterrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-i-Istehkam’ by security forces. law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir expressed his “deepest condolences with the families of the brave soldiers”.

“These sacrifices further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs,” the statement said.

Later, the funeral prayers of the martyred Rangers’ personnel were held with the participation of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Sindh Governor Nehal Hashmi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, the Rangers director general. other senior officials.

Residents of Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar reported hearing the sounds of an explosion and gunfire at around 8pm.

Special units, law enforcers. rescue personnel were dispatched to the site, and the area was cordoned off by police and paramilitary personnel.

Initial reports indicate that the attackers used a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VB-IED) to ram into the main gate of the local Rangers headquarters in Gulistan-i-Jauhar’s Block 5. triggering a powerful explosion. In the immediate aftermath of the blast, the terrorists stormed the compound and opened indiscriminate fire.

Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Javed Alam Odho confirmed toDawnthat a fierce exchange of gunfire ensued after the vehicle breached the gate.

The powerful blast and subsequent heavy gunfire forced residents and bystanders to scramble for safety. Law enforcement. emergency rescue services rushed to the scene, while multiple arterial roads leading from Mosamiyat to the Rangers camp were closed to vehicular traffic as a security operation continued late into the night.

Following the incident, the police chief said the area had been cordoned off by a heavy contingent of police. Rangers commandos, with a “mopping operation” underway.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday strongly condemned the terrorist attack, state-runAPPreported.

The president paid tribute to the three Pakistan Rangers personnel who embraced martyrdom in the attack. prayed for the elevation of their ranks, the President’s Secretariat Media Wing said in a press release.

He said the nation would never forget the sacrifices of its brave soldiers in the fight against terrorism.

President Zardari asserted that the nefarious designs of “externally backed terrorist elements” would never succeed, adding that the people of Pakistan stood shoulder to shoulder with the country’s security forces. law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in the fight against terrorism.

The president expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs. prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured personnel.

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz commended the security forces for successfully foiling the “cowardly” attack by “Fitna al-Hindustanterrorists”.

The Pakistani government uses the term “Fitna al-Hindustan” to refer to groups it accuses of being sponsored by India to execute terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil.

The premier noted that the Rangers personnel once again demonstrated exceptional professionalism, bravery,. devotion to their duty by thwarting the terrorists’ nefarious designs.

He praised the security forces for killing three terrorists. arresting one alive during the operation, saying they had crushed the evil intentions ofFitna al-Hindustan, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The prime minister paid tribute to the personnel who embraced martyrdom during the operation. saying the entire nation saluted their sacrifices.

He also expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs, prayed for their strength. patience, and wished the injured personnel a swift recovery.

PM Shehbaz reaffirmed that the blood of the martyrs would not go in vain. that every manifestation of terrorism would be eliminated with full force.

He asserted thatFitna al-Hindustanand its patrons would never succeed in achieving their malicious objectives.

The prime minister vowed Pakistan’s fight against the scourge of terrorism would continue with unwavering resolve until it was completely eradicated.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also denounced the attack and paid tribute to the martyred personnel.

He noted that the brave personnel “thwarted the terrorists’ nefarious aims through timely action”.

“The personnel who embraced martyrdom while foiling the attack are heroes of the entire nation,” the minister said.

Shortly after firing near Mosamiyat Chowrangi was reported, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took notice of the reports. sought a detailed report of the incident, according to his spokesperson.

The chief minister contacted the Sindh IG. the Karachi additional inspector general (AIG), directing them to ensure that police immediately reached the site and took necessary action to ascertain the nature of the incident.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar also took notice of the incident and sought a detailed report from the AIG. He directed that all details of the incident be submitted as soon as possible, according to the Home Department.

The last major terrorist attack in the metropolis was abombingnear Karachi airport on October 6, 2024, which left one person dead. 11 others injured, including foreign nationals.

The attack was claimed by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Policeregistered an FIRagainst leaders of the BLA and others three days after the incident.

In November 2024. the Sindh home ministerconfirmed the arrestof two suspects involved in the Karachi airport attack that targeted Chinese officials.

In the last major terrorist attack on a security installation in Karachi, police. military personnel responded to anattackon the Karachi Police Office on Sharea Faisal in February 2023.

An hours-longgun battlebetween terrorists. security forces — comprising Pakistan Army Special Service Group (SSG), Sindh Rangers and Sindh Police — left four people martyred and 19 injured. All three terrorists belonging to the banned militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed.

After two consecutive months of improvement, Pakistan’s security situationdeteriorated sharplyin May, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Balochistan, according to the monthly security assessmentreleasedby the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

According to the report. the country witnessed 128 terrorist attacks during May, compared to 101 attacks in April, representing a 27 per cent increase. The rise reversed the downward trend observed during the previous two months. underscored the persistent security challenges confronting conflict-affected regions of the country.