The Pakistani Taliban on Friday claimed responsibility for an attack on Karachi police headquarters. 

Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui, a government adviser, said he could "confirm the operation against the terrorists is now over."

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said in a tweet he strongly condemned the "terrorist attack on the police in Karachi and salute the brave police and law enforcement personnel who foiled the attack." 

He added in a follow up tweet that Pakistan "will not only uproot terrorism, but will kill the terrorists by bringing them to justice."

Militants, police officials killed

The deadly assault by militants killed at least three police officials and a civilian, Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui added. Karachi, which is Pakistan's largest city, is located in the province of Sindh.

In addition, two suicide bombers were also killed, officials said. At least one of them blew himself up after entering the police compound, officials added. 

Wahab said police and paramilitary forces in a joint operation cleared the police station in three hours since the attack late on Friday. 

What we know about the attack

The attack began around 7:10 p.m. local time and there were sounds of explosion, Haroon Janjua, DW's reporter in Islamabad said.

A police surgeon told DW while the operation was still ongoing that at least two dead bodies had been taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center in Karachi.

Eight others who sustained injuries were taken to the hospital as well, Dr Summaiya Syed, the police surgeon, said. 

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said in the evening that five or six militants were involved and threw hand grenades as they forced their way into the police headquarters. 

A police officer told DW that militants "entered the office wearing police uniforms and started firing."

Sharjeel Memon, the Sindh province's spokesman, said in an update to the operation that the attackers had been surrounded even though shooting and clashes were at the time underway.

What to know about the TTP

Pakistan's Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was officially set up in 2007 by Pakistani militants angered by Islamabad's cooperation with Washington in the war on terrorism.

The group claims that its armed struggle aims to overthrow the government so it can govern the nation in accordance with the group's strict interpretration of Islamic laws.

It also seeks the release of its members in government custody and a reduction in Pakistani military presence in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the province bordering Afghanistan that it has long used as a base.

The TTP is a separate group from the Afghan Taliban, but Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 emboldened the TTP. The two groups share a common ideology.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since November, when the Pakistani Taliban ended a cease-fire with the government after the failure of months of talks hosted by Afghanistan's Taliban rulers in Kabul.

The group has recently increased attack on police in northwestern Pakistan as part of its campaign against the government in Islamabad.

rm/es (Reuters, AP)