World News | Gun Attack Targets Police Headquarters in Pakistan's Karachi

Karachi, Feb 17 (AP) Gunfire erupted outside of police headquarters in Pakistan's largest city on Friday, as security forces rushed to stave off what appeared to be a bold attack in the heart of Karachi.

There was no immediate word of casualties but city police chief Javed Alam Odho confirmed that an attack was underway and said police and paramilitary troops were responding.

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It wasn't clear who was behind the assault on the police headquarters, or how many assailants were involved, the police chief added.

Odho provided no further details and TV footage showed officers surrounding the city's central police station. Residents said they also heard explosions, but it was unclear what caused the sound of nearby blasts.

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No group has so far claimed the attack.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since November when Pakistani Taliban ended a monthslong cease-fire with the government.

Pakistan's outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban are a separate group but are allies of the Taliban in Afghanistan, who seized power there more than a year ago as the US and NATO troops withdrew.

The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan emboldened Pakistani militants, whose top leaders and fighters are hiding across the border.(AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)