A deadly terror attack on a Pakistan Rangers compound in Karachi left four paramilitary personnel dead after heavily armed militants launched a coordinated assault that triggered a 90-minute gun battle with security forces.
The attack began around 8.30 pm on Saturday when an explosives-filled vehicle crashed through the main gate of a Sindh Rangers facility in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 5. Soon after the blast, the attackers entered the premises, opened indiscriminate fire and hurled hand grenades, causing multiple explosions inside the compound.
According to PTI, the attackers were linked to Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a militant faction of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
90-minute operation ends with six militants killed
Rescue 1122 Sindh said emergency teams were rushed to the scene immediately after reports of the explosion were received from its central command and control centre.
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As security forces launched a counter-operation, authorities sealed the Rangers headquarters and nearby roads. Residents in surrounding neighbourhoods were advised to stay indoors, while some areas experienced power cuts during the operation.
The exchange of gunfire continued for around 90 minutes. Rangers personnel, assisted by Special Security Unit commandos and the Anti-Terrorist Force, killed six militants and captured one injured attacker. Four Rangers soldiers were killed during the assault.
Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho said an explosion marked the beginning of the attack, though the exact cause was initially unclear.
"More details are being collected, but initial investigations confirm the terrorists arrived in a vehicle and entered the compound by ramming the main gate. The Rangers personnel responded rapidly," Hindustan Times quoted him as saying.
#WATCH | Karachi: Three paramilitary personnel and three terrorists died during an attack on local headquarters of Pakistan's Sindh Rangers in Karachi's Gulistan-i-Jauhar locality yesterday, reports's Pakistan's Dawn citing Sindh police chief
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2026
Visuals from the spot pic.twitter.com/xzkXg4YVed
Who are Jamaat-ul-Ahrar?
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is a faction of the banned TTP and has mainly operated in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. The group has carried out attacks targeting civilians, security personnel and government officials.
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The assault also brought back memories of the February 2023 attack on the Karachi Police Office, when TTP militants stormed the high-security facility, leading to multiple casualties.
Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies have repeatedly accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of providing safe haven to TTP militants for cross-border attacks. The Taliban administration has denied such allegations in the past.
Following the latest attack, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed the provincial police chief and Karachi's additional inspector general of police to submit a detailed report on the incident.
