Five terrorists killed as Rangers repel Karachi suicide assault

• Three Rangers personnel martyred after VBIED attack targets installation near Gulshan-e-Iqbal

• ISPR says alert guards swiftly surrounded attackers, neutralised five terrorists

• Clearance operation continues as SSU, ATF and Rangers secure attack site

• Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claims responsibility for assault on Rangers headquarters

• CM Murad, home minister order immediate reports as security agencies launch response

  KARACHI: Five terrorists were neutralised while three Sindh Rangers personnel embraced martyrdom after terrorists carried out a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on a Rangers installation near Gulshan-e-Iqbal on Saturday evening, prompting an ongoing clearance operation, according to the military's media wing.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said: "On 27 June 2026, Fitna al-Khawarij (FaK) terrorists carried out a vehicle-borne IED (VBIED) attack on a Rangers installation at Karachi near Gulshan-e-Iqbal. The alert guards deployed at the entrance gate acted swiftly, surrounding the terrorists."

The ISPR said five terrorists were eliminated during the operation.

🚨⚠️Update Karachi attack

On 27 June 2026, Fitna al Khawarij (FaK) terrorists carried out a Vehicle borne IED attack on a rangers installation at Karachi near Gulshan e Iqbal. The alert guards deployed at the entrance gate acted swiftly surrounding the terrorists. 5 terrorists…

— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) June 27, 2026

Confirming the attack, Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho said the assault on the local headquarters of the Sindh Rangers in Karachi's Gulistan-i-Jauhar area resulted in the martyrdom of three Rangers personnel.

The provincial police chief said it was not immediately clear whether an explosion had occurred, adding that the attackers had rammed their vehicle into the facility's main gate.

He said a mopping-up operation was underway, while the area had been cordoned off by Special Security Unit (SSU) commandos, the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) and Rangers personnel.

کراچی: فتنہ الخوارج (افغان) دہشت گردوں نے گلشنِ اقبال کے قریب رینجرز کی ایک تنصیب پر گاڑی میں نصب بارودی مواد (VBIED) کے ذریعے حملہ کیا۔

گیٹ پر تعینات الرٹ اہلکاروں نے فوری کارروائی کرتے ہوئے دہشت گردوں کو مؤثر انداز میں روک لیا۔ کارروائی کے دوران 5 دہشت گرد ہلاک کر دیے گئے۔… https://t.co/eicchbcAH0 pic.twitter.com/5Y6Y6JmWAr

— Eagle Eye (@zarrar_11PK) June 27, 2026

Speaking to the media, Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed confirmed that one Rangers jawan with gunshot wounds to his leg had been brought to hospital for treatment.

A Reuters reporter at the scene later said the exchange of fire had ended and the situation had returned to calm.

According to eyewitnesses, the assault began when the attackers rammed a vehicle into the outer barricade of the Rangers-controlled facility in the Gulistan-i-Jauhar neighbourhood before storming the premises.

The attack was claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a militant faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has largely remained active in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent years, targeting civilians, security personnel and government officials.

🚨BREAKING: Afghanistan-backed Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claims responsibility for the attack on Rangers Headquarters. pic.twitter.com/0wg05dEQKO

— The Daily CPEC (@TheDailyCPEC) June 27, 2026

Separately, a police official, speaking to Arab News on condition of anonymity, claimed that at least four Rangers personnel had been martyred in the attack.

"Five terrorists have also been eliminated, and the body of the sixth terrorist, who was the suicide bomber, has also been found," the official said.

Another source claimed that one militant had been captured alive.

"A terrorist has also been apprehended in an injured condition," the source said.

Earlier, law enforcement agencies rushed to the area after reports of heavy gunfire and an explosion, according to eyewitnesses.

Specialised units, including the Rapid Response Force and police commandos, were deployed to secure the area, while police and paramilitary personnel cordoned off the surrounding locality.

Rescue 1122 Sindh said it received reports of an explosion near Gulistan-i-Jauhar Block 5 and immediately dispatched emergency teams from its central command and control centre.

According to the rescue service spokesperson, Chief Operating Officer Dr Abid Jalaluddin Sheikh also proceeded to the site on the directives of Chief Minister's Adviser on Rehabilitation Gyan Chand Essrani and Rescue 1122 (Sindh) Director General Brigadier (retd) Wajid Sibghatullah.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took immediate notice of reports of an explosion and gunfire near Mosamiat Chowrangi and sought a detailed report on the incident through his spokesperson.

The chief minister contacted the Sindh inspector general and the Karachi additional inspector general, directing them to ensure the immediate deployment of police and take all necessary measures to determine the nature of the attack.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar also took notice of the incident and sought a detailed report from the additional inspector general. He directed that complete details of the incident be submitted without delay, according to the Home Department.

The last major terrorist attack in Karachi occurred near the city's airport on October 6, 2024, when a bombing killed one person and injured 11 others, including foreign nationals.

The attack was claimed by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and police registered an FIR against the group's leaders and others three days later.

In November 2024, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar confirmed the arrest of two suspects involved in the Karachi airport attack targeting Chinese officials.

Earlier, in February 2023, terrorists attacked the Karachi Police Office on Shahrah-e-Faisal, triggering an hours-long gun battle involving the Pakistan Army's Special Service Group (SSG), Sindh Rangers and Sindh Police. The operation left four people martyred and 19 others injured, while all three terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed.

The latest attack comes as Pakistan's security situation deteriorated sharply in May after two consecutive months of improvement, according to the monthly security assessment released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The report said the country witnessed 128 terrorist attacks during May, compared with 101 in April, representing a 27 per cent increase. The surge reversed the downward trend recorded during the previous two months and underscored the persistent security challenges facing conflict-affected regions of the country.