Pakistani security troops rush to Karachi airport terminal following attacks by unknown gunmen on Sunday night, June 8, 2014, in Pakistan.
Karachi:
At least five people have been killed and one wounded after heavily-armed gunmen attacked Pakistan's busiest airport in the port city of Karachi, forcing suspension of all flights.
Around eight to 10 gunmen, dressed in the uniform of the Airport Security Force (ASF), entered the Fokker building at the old terminal of the Jinnah International Airport in Pakistan. The terminal is primarily used for Haj operations.
"Five dead bodies have been brought in, and one injured was also brought to the hospital," said Dr Seemi Jamali, who is head of the city's main Jinnah Hospital.
She added that three were Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel and two were civilian employees of Pakistan International Airlines. The wounded was also an ASF official.
Senior police official Rao Muhammad Anwar said the militants were armed with automatic weapons and grenades and were exchanging gunfire with security officials.
Pakistani television stations aired footage of what appeared to be a major fire at the airport, with the silhouette of a jet seen.
Shaukat Jamal, a spokesman for the Airport Security Force, said the Pakistani military has been called in and that police were fighting the attackers.
Abid Qaimkhani, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed the attack, adding all flights had been suspended. The airport has been sealed and an emergency has also been declared.
There has so far been no claim of responsibility, but Pakistan has been battling a homegrown Islamist insurgency for more than a decade that has claimed thousands of lives.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government began negotiations with the umbrella Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - the main Islamist militant group fighting the state - in February, with a ceasefire beginning March 1 but breaking down a month later.
Around eight to 10 gunmen, dressed in the uniform of the Airport Security Force (ASF), entered the Fokker building at the old terminal of the Jinnah International Airport in Pakistan. The terminal is primarily used for Haj operations.
"Five dead bodies have been brought in, and one injured was also brought to the hospital," said Dr Seemi Jamali, who is head of the city's main Jinnah Hospital.
She added that three were Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel and two were civilian employees of Pakistan International Airlines. The wounded was also an ASF official.
Senior police official Rao Muhammad Anwar said the militants were armed with automatic weapons and grenades and were exchanging gunfire with security officials.
Pakistani television stations aired footage of what appeared to be a major fire at the airport, with the silhouette of a jet seen.
Shaukat Jamal, a spokesman for the Airport Security Force, said the Pakistani military has been called in and that police were fighting the attackers.
Abid Qaimkhani, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed the attack, adding all flights had been suspended. The airport has been sealed and an emergency has also been declared.
There has so far been no claim of responsibility, but Pakistan has been battling a homegrown Islamist insurgency for more than a decade that has claimed thousands of lives.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government began negotiations with the umbrella Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - the main Islamist militant group fighting the state - in February, with a ceasefire beginning March 1 but breaking down a month later.
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