Terrorists hit Chinese Consulate in Karachi, target Friday Bazaar in Orakzai: 39 die in twin terror attacks

KARACHI/KALAYA: At least 35 people were martyred and 40 others sustained injures in a bomb explosion in the Orakzai tribal district on Friday, while the security forces foiled an attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, killing three attackers.

Days after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to China, terrorists attempted to storm the Chinese Consulate in Karachi on Friday morning, attacking the guards with grenades and heavy firing. The security forces, however, foiled the attack on the consulate in the commercial capital of Pakistan, leaving all the three attackers dead in an hour-long shootout.

Fortunately, all the diplomats and staff inside the consulate remained safe and secure but the attack also took the lives of two personnel of the Sindh Police as well as two visa applicants.

A separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which opposes Chinese investment projects in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. Sources said the country’s top intelligence and law enforcement agencies were tightening the noose around the nationalist militant group following the attack.

The attack began at around 9:30am when the three attackers -- one of them wearing a suicide jacket -- after parking their car at some distance from the consulate started moving towards the building. They were carrying hand grenades and sophisticated weapons in their hands.

The militants first threw a hand grenade and opened fire when they were intercepted by the security personnel at a checkpoint while trying to enter the consulate from the Visa Section. As many as 35 security personnel from the Sindh Police, Rangers and FC deployed on security duties at the consulate managed to stop them from entering the building.

The consulate is located in Block 4 of the upscale neighbourhood Clifton, which is home to a number of diplomatic missions. Two policemen, ASI Ashraf Daud, 40, and Constable Amir Khan, 30, and a security guard, Jumman Shah, 40, were injured. Two visa applicants from Quetta, Niaz Muhammad, 56, and his son Muhammad Zahir Shah, 35, also lost their lives in the attack.

Panic mounted as the area echoed with heavy gunshots and multiple blasts. Smoke rising from outside the consulate could also be seen miles away. Schools in the area were immediately closed following the attack. Police and Rangers quickly surrounded the area and closed all the roads leading towards the consulate.

Top bosses from the Rangers and police also reached the site and inquired about the incident. At 12:15pm, security officials announced that the search operation had been completed. “The attack was foiled due to timely action by police, Rangers and FC personnel deployed outside the consulate,” Sindh Rangers spokesperson told the media.

“All diplomatic staff remained safe and secure.” Police officials said the terrorists wanted to create a hostage situation but their plan was foiled. IGP Sindh Dr Syed Kaleem Imam told the media that the terrorists wanted to enter the consulate.

“The attackers had hand grenades and sub-machineguns (SMGs) with them. They wanted to enter the consulate but failed in their goal,” the IGP Sindh informed the media. “One of the attackers was gunned down outside while the other two were neutralised during police and Rangers operation.”

Security officials also claimed to have recovered a pair of suicide jackets ready to go off, magazines with ammunition, slabs of C4 explosive, batteries, chemicals, two bottles of RGD-I grenades, seven RGD-5 grenades, two SMGs. Apart from recovering the arms and explosives, the police also recovered food supplies and medicines from their possession.

CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, IGP Sindh Dr Syed Kaleem Imam, Additional IG Karachi Dr Amir Shaikh and other senior Rangers and police officials called on Consul General of China Wang Yu and inquired about his well-being.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed law enforcement agencies in the port city to speed up intelligence-based targeted operations against terrorists in the city. “The attempt to attack the Chinese Consulate shows that there are still abettors of terrorists in the city and we have to eliminate them,” he said. “This must be investigated as the high profile cases of Safoora carnage and others,” he said.

Murad Ali Shah also lauded the courage of a female police officer ASP Clifton Suhai Aziz for leading the operation during the attack. “Our women are brave and can work shoulder-to-shoulder with men,” the CM said.

This is not for the first time when the Chinese consulate or nationals came under attack in Karachi. But this was the most prominent attack to-date. In 2012, a low-intensity bomb blast had also occurred near the Chinese Consulate in Karachi. However, a bomb disposal squad had defused the second bomb planted in a motorcycle near the consulate.

There has been a massive decline in the cases of terrorism since the Karachi operation began on September 5, 2013. However, in less than a week, this was the second major terrorist act in Karachi. Earlier, two teenage vendors were killed and 10 others wounded in a powerful bomb blast in the Quaidabad neighbourhood.

Our correspondent adds from Kalaya: At least 35 people, including three children, were martyred and 40 others sustained injures in a bomb explosion at a market in Kalaya bazaar in the Orakzai tribal district on Friday, official sources said.

The blast that was heard far and wide also damaged 10 houses and 20 vehicles. Reports said that three members of the minority Sikh community said to be traders were also killed in the blast. Among the injured, 10 were stated to be in critical condition. It was learnt that eight kilograms of explosives planted in a bicycle were used to trigger the explosion at around 10:30am when the bazaar was packed with shoppers.

Locals said it was the weekly Friday Bazaar in Kalaya and this was the reason there were many sellers and shoppers on this particular day. "An unknown suicide bomber riding on a bike and covering his face entered the gathering and exploded himself," said the commissioner Kohat in a statement. "The blast caused panic among the people who ran for cover," an eyewitness said.

The site of the blast was littered with bodies of the dead and the injured, many crying in pain and calling for help. Deputy Commissioner Orakzai tribal district Khalid Iqbal said the explosives had been planted in a bicycle to conduct the blast. The official said that the injured were taken to hospitals in Kohat and Peshawar. He had earlier said that 31 persons were martyred in the blast and that 28 bodies had been identified. The death toll had been rising as more bodies were found and the critically wounded succumbed to their injuries.

An eyewitness, Shahbaz Ali, was earlier reported as saying that he saw a boy with his face covered riding a motorcycle to reach the market. He said there was an explosion soon afterwards and he fell unconscious.

The martyred persons were identified as Irshad Ali, Saddar Khan, Asar Khan, Dr Ameen Ali, Iqbal Hussain, Sajjad Malik, Zameen Ali, Ashqan Ali, Sultan Ali, Nazar Ali, Gaban Ali, Jihad Ali, Sheraz Khan, Lalal Mehmandi, Menak, Kashor Ali, Yaqeen Ali, Razam Ali, Mandar, Shameen Ali, Shaheen Ali, Anar Ali, Walayat Ali and Aneesul Hassan.

The personnel of the Orakzai Scouts and the Levies launched a search operation soon after the blast. However, there were no reports about any arrest. No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) through its spokesman Mohammad Khorasani denied its involvement in the attack. Suspicion fell on the IS, or Daesh, but it hasn't made any claim of responsibility yet.

The local people staged a protest to condemn the blast. They asked the government to bring the perpetrators to justice and sought protection from such heinous attacks. Member National Assembly Jawad Hussain, Muttahida Qabail Party Vice-Chairman Malik Habib Noor Orakzai and Pakistan People's Party leader Iqbal Hussain condemned the blast. Lawmaker Jawad Hussain asked the government to form a joint investigation team to probe the incident.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman and Chief Minister Mehmood Khan condemned the bomb blast. "Targeting the innocent people is an inhumane act," said the governor.

The governor and the chief minister directed hospitals to provide quick medical treatment to those injured in the blast. Kalaya, the headquarters of Orakzai tribal district, had suffered a big terrorist attack in 2011 as well when 30 people, including 10 security personnel, were martyred and more than 50 were injured in a suicide bombing. The bomber had driven his explosives-laden van into the building of the Communications and Works Department inside the government compound in Kalaya.