KARACHI: Security forces killed four assailants who attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) building in Karachi with grenades and guns on Monday morning, Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon confirmed.
According to a police statement, one sub-inspector and four security guards were martyred in the attack as well as one civilian. Three police officials received injuries, the statement added.
The attack was claimed by the so-called Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), an Afghanistan-based militant organisation, through an email sent to multiple journalists. The outfit had also attacked the Chinese consulate attack in 2018.
It merits a mention here that the BLA has been critical of Chinese projects in Balochistan, mainly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In 2016, A Chinese consortium comprising three exchanges — China Financial Futures Exchange (the lead bidder), Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange — bought 40 percent strategic shares in the PSX in a deal valued at Rs8.96 billion ($85 million). The attack can be an act of retaliation against increasing Chinese presence in the port city of Gawadar and elsewhere in the province.
Initial reports suggest that the attackers, who were armed with AK-47 rifles and hand grenades, reached the entrance little before 10 am in a Toyota Corolla car and opened fire. A grenade attack was also carried out at the entrance.
According to PSX Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Farukh Khan, the attackers were not able to reach the trading hall of the exchange. While speaking to a private media outlet, he said the number of people in the compound was lower than normal due since many employees were working from home due to Covid-19.
Khan said that the terrorists had been intercepted outside the entrance and only one of them had entered the compound. None of them entered the trading hall or the building, he added. According to him, trading had not stopped and was still continuing.
Sindh Rangers said that Karachi Police and Rangers arrived at the scene soon after the attack and all four militants. A clearance operation is currently underway in the vicinity.
Police said that advanced weaponry, hand grenades and explosive material has been recovered from the terrorists’ custody. Security forces are also examining the suspected car which was parked outside the PSX building.
A source, on the condition of anonymity, told Profit that the PSX administration received threats approximately six months ago.
