A policeman and a civilian were also killed in the attack, police in the Pakistani metropolitan city said on Monday. Another seven people were injured, including three police officers.
“All four terrorists were killed by security forces,” says Sharjeel Kharal, a police chief in the Sindh region, where Karachi is the provincial capital.
Police Chief Ghulam Nabi Memon tells AFP News Agency that the attackers arrived in a car and threw a grenade at the building before opening fire.
A separatist group from a neighboring province, the Baluchistan Liberation Army, says it was behind the attack.
The attackers were equipped with automatic weapons and carried large quantities of weapons and ammunition, as well as food, indicating that they were preparing for a protracted hostage situation. They tried to enter the hall where the stock trading was taking place, but according to police, the attack was quickly turned down.
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Hiding in the offices
The stock exchange is in the middle of Karachi’s financial district, and over 1,000 brokers and other employees were present in the building when the attack happened in the middle of the day on Monday local time. Employees were seeking refuge in their offices, financial broker Yaqub Memon told AP News Agency.
The attack happened at 10am local time, and shortly thereafter heavily armed police were in place at the exchange. Local media after a while showed pictures of police clearing the area. The staff were gathered in one room, while police went from floor to floor to ensure that no explosives were left.
According to Stock Exchange Director Farrukh Khan, the attackers were killed before they managed to get into the main building. He says today’s trade had started when the attackers stormed the building.
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Separatistgruppe
The Baluchistan Liberation Army has for years been fighting for its own independent state in its home province. The group has carried out a number of attacks in Karachi in recent years, including the Chinese Consulate in November 2018. Two people were killed in the attack. The group is strongly critical of a Chinese road project to link the port city of Gwadar in Baluchistan with China.
The group on Monday released pictures of four heavily armed men, who are said to be identical to the attackers.
For many years, Karachi was ravaged by both high crime and political violence, where militant groups affiliated with various politicians often attacked each other. In recent years, however, the situation has become more stable.
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