At least three Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were killed and four wounded after a group of heavily armed militants stormed a Pakistan Rangers compound in Karachi late on Saturday night, in what authorities described as a coordinated terrorist assault. The attack, which began around 8:30 p.m. local time, was ultimately repelled after a gun battle lasting nearly 90 minutes.

According to Pakistan's military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), attackers from Jamaat-ul-Ahrar — a splinter faction of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban — first detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device at the main gate of the Sindh Rangers' Bhittai Wing headquarters in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, a densely populated district of Karachi. The blast breached the perimeter, after which a group of gunmen stormed the compound and opened fire. Special Security Unit commandos and the Anti-Terrorist Force joined Rangers personnel in repelling the assault. The ISPR said three attackers were killed and one — an Afghan national — was captured alive in an injured condition, though other security sources put the number of attackers killed at six. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility, stating that nine militants had taken part in the operation.

The attack prompted an immediate political response. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif both condemned the assault and paid tribute to the fallen soldiers. The prime minister praised Rangers personnel for their professionalism and vowed that terrorism would be