Heroism at PSX as deadly attack thwarted.

Byline: Imtiaz Ali

KARACHI -- The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) came under attack on Monday morning when four heavily armed assailants lobbed grenades at its entrance and opened fire on security guards and officials before being killed in an exchange of fire that also claimed the lives of a police officer and three guards.

The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility through social media, but such an attack reflecting 'frustration' of Indian agency RAW over peace in Pakistan's financial hub was not possible without the help of any foreign hostile agency, the chief of paramilitary Rangers later told media.

The attackers arrived in a car and hurled hand grenades at the first gate of the PSX where police challenged them and foiled their attempt to barge into the building, said DIG (South) Sharjeel Kharal, adding that due to the combined efforts of security guards and law enforcement agencies all the attackers were killed. In the exchange of fire, he said, one police officer and three security guards of the PSX embraced martyrdom, while three policemen, one guard and two civilians suffered wounds. 'All terrorists were neutralised within eight minutes and routine activities within PSX and outside were restored within 25 minutes,' said the Director General of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, Major General Omer Ahmed Bukhari. They pulled up at 10.02am and the joint operation of Rangers, police and security guards was completed at 10.10am, according to him.

The Rangers DG said the weapons, including AK-47 rifles and grenades, besides water and food recovered from their possession showed that they had come with the intention of entering the building, killing people or holding hostages.

He said the BLA claimed responsibility through social media and named the attackers but the claim would be determined after investigation.

Three of the attackers were later identified as Salman, Tasleem Baloch and Siraj through their fingerprints, an officer of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Sindh Police Raja Umer Khattab said, adding that they belonged to Ketch area of Balochistan.

He said the car used in the attack had been purchased by Salman from a showroom at Old Sabzimandi on cash. For the purchase, he also submitted his original computerised national identity card that remained in possession of the excise department. The CTD officer said the attackers came from the Gharibabad interchange of Lyari Expressway and used Mauripur Road to...