Brave police officer describes gun battle during Pakistan Stock Exchange attack in Karachi

KARACHI: A brave young officer has described in a video the gun battle that took place during the Karachi Stock Exchange (PSX) mass shooting Monday morning, saying the assailants attacked in a coordinated manner.

Officer Khalil, part of the Sindh Police's Rapid Response Force (RRF), said one of the terrorists was launching grenade attacks and another firing shots.

Police had explained following the attack that all four terrorists who targeted the PSX building Monday morning had been killed, while two security guards and a police sub-inspector martyred as they repelled the attempt to storm the busiest building on Karachi's I.I. Chundrigar Road, also known as Pakistan's Wall Street.

In a video viral on social media and obtained by Geo News, Khalil said: "I had shot one [of the assailants] and he died. Then I heard someone saying there was another assailant shooting at us.

"That's what I heard from outside. I stopped firing [momentarily] and retreated. Then we were advised to proceed, with two of us to stay in the front and fire while another gave us cover.

"As one of us started firing, the other [inaudible]... It was just a little ahead from here. As the second one [terrorist] stepped out — and he had seen me — I shot him twice and injured him," the young officer said.

Khalil then mentioned a pause of milliseconds when one of the assailants attempted to reach other ammunition for a fresh attack but stressed that he was well-prepared for it.

The terrorist "then took out a grenade [to launch at us] so I aimed and fired at his hand and the grenade, as well as the weapon, dropped from his grip.

"As he tried to pull out the pin from the grenade, I shot him straight in the head. He fell to the ground and two of us stepped forward," the officer stated.

"There was another one I had shot and injured. Afterwards, my colleague went ahead to continue the operation," he added.