(Image source from: cnn.com)

Two Pakistani guards and a Policeman were killed in a gruesome attack by militants on Pakistani stock exchange in Karachi. 7 security personnel were also injured in the assault.

On Monday, four militants armed with automatic rifles threw a grenade and began firing the stock exchange in Karachi.

They have started the attack on a security post near the stock exchange.

The attackers came to the place in a silver Corolla car and started firing when they were stopped by the security at the gate.

According to Karachi Police, the gunmen fired the security post but failed to make it to the trading floor.

The Staff of the building has taken refuge in locked rooms and many were evacuated.

The director general of Paramilitary has said that all the four gunmen have been killed within 8 minutes of their attack.

Allegedly, the gunmen had brought with them some supplies of food along with the weaponry which indicated that they have prepared for a siege.

Just when the militants have launched an attack, the security forces of Karachi had fought back killing all four heavily built gunmen.

In this attack, seven Policemen have been injured. The attackers could not manage to enter the main building and all the explosives and weapons have been recovered from the militants.

As it was not clear if more men were involved in the assault, the Police had started searching the vicinity of the stock exchange built but found none.

The stock exchange building of Karachi is situated in high-security zone. It has hundreds of financial institutions and about 8000 people are working in the complex.

Meanwhile, Baloch Liberation army say that they were behind the attack. Baloch groups have been fighting for a separate home land in Pakistan’s Balochistan province since years.

In 2018, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has tried to attack the Chinese consulate in Karachi which led to the killing of at least four people.

Balochistan is a less populated region where BLA and other militants have been living there and in some other areas of Pakistan.

The province remains the most under-developed area despite the province being rich in gas, coal reserves, gold and copper. People of Balochistan have been fighting for their due rights since many years.

However, in a recent statement to media on Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has confidently said that India is behind the attack of militants on Karachi’s stock exchange. But, India has denied the claims and said that it had nothing to do with the assault.

By Gayatri Yellayi