A militant drove an explosives-packed vehicle into the main gate of the Rangers compound, breaching the perimeter and triggering a large explosion.

Militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the headquarters of Pakistan’s Sindh Rangers in Karachi on Saturday before storming the compound in a coordinated gun assault, killing at least three paramilitary soldiers, police and witnesses said.

The attack struck the Rangers facility in the Gulistan-i-Jauhar neighbourhood, an area surrounded by universities and government buildings in the east of the city, in the early evening, sending a blast echoing across the district and triggering sustained gunfire that lasted around 15 minutes.

According to the Associated Press (AP), a little-known militant group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for the assault.

HOW THE ATTACK UNFOLDED

• A militant drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the main gate of the Rangers compound, breaching the perimeter with a large blast, AP reported.
• About five heavily armed men then entered the facility and exchanged gunfire with security personnel inside.
• Witnesses said the explosion was felt across the area.
• “The ground felt like it does when there is an earthquake,” Mohammad Bakhsh, a 40-year-old restaurant owner, told Reuters, adding that smoke filled the area before gunfire began.
• An affiliate of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar later claimed nine attackers took part in the operation, according to Al Jazeera.

THE TOLL

Sindh Inspector General Javed Alam Odho confirmed to local media that three Rangers personnel were killed in the attack. Three attackers were also killed in the ensuing gun battle, he said.

The Edhi Foundation, which provides emergency assistance across Pakistan, said at least two further people were wounded and taken to hospital.

Security forces moved quickly to seal off streets around the Mosamiat Chowrangi area as the situation unfolded. Special Security Unit commandos, the Anti-Terrorist Force and additional Rangers personnel were deployed around the site as a clearance operation got under way.

A Reuters reporter at the scene said firing had ended and the situation was calm by late evening.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said he had taken notice of the explosion and ordered officials to submit a full report.

WHO IS JAMAAT-UL-AHRAR

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is a splinter faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban or TTP, AP reported. The group has previously carried out attacks targeting security forces and civilians inside Pakistan.

The Pakistani Taliban is a separate organisation from the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, though the two groups are considered allies.

Saturday’s assault is the most significant attack in Karachi since a bombing targeting a Chinese convoy in October 2024 killed two Chinese nationals, Reuters reported.

While major militant attacks in Pakistan’s cities have become less frequent in recent years, AP noted that the country has witnessed a sharp rise in violence targeting police and security forces, with authorities blaming the TTP and allied groups for most of the incidents.

A surge in militancy in regions bordering Afghanistan has raised concerns among security officials that violence could return to urban centres across the country.