Investigators probing the Karachi Police Office attack on Friday night have ascertained the identities of the three attackers. More details have also come in about how the attack was carried out.

The attackers arrived in two separate vehicles at the compound. One car was found parked at the front of the building while the other was discovered in the rear. Both vehicles have now been scanned and cleared by bomb-disposal units. The car that was found in the front, within the premises of the KPO, was left with all four doors open.

The attackers entered the building at 07:10pm, armed with suicide vests as well as hand grenades.

The vests were not electronically fitted and were mechanically built using a detonation mechanism. They were packed with eight to 10 kg of explosive material.

After security officials surrounded the building, two terrorists were shot dead while the thrid blew up his suicide vest. The hand grenades lobbed by the terrorists were found undenotated after the operation.

Two suicide vests, eight grenades and three grenade launchers were recovered in all.

All three attackers killed in the attack have now been identified. Two of them came from North Waziristan, while the third is said to be from Lakki Marwat.

Three security personnel and one cleaner were killed in the attack and 18 people injured.

Constable standing at gate was terrorists’ first target

Terrorists first targeted a police constable standing at the gate before entering the Karachi police office, CCTV footage showed, with plans to impound the five-storey building that ensures the security of the Pakistan’s economic hub.

Then, they lobbed a hand grenade after entering the office. The CCTV footage of the first floor confirmed that three terrorists entered the building. They had modern weapons and wore bags. One of them was wearing a suicide vest, apparently, the one who blew himself up on the fourth floor.

The militants had brought eatable items with them, according to investigation officials. Investigating agencies were leading the investigation with the help of more footage.

Police tried to intercept terrorists when they reached the first floor. They reached the first floor at 7:15pm, 10 minutes after the entered the building. Later, the battle became intense when the outlawed group member flung a hand grenade. The police were trying to stop terrorists from entering the police chief office.

They reached the second floor after 20 to 25 minutes.

Sanitary worker Amjad Masih was another target of attackers, who wore shalwar kameez, unlike the Peshawar mosque blast and attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange where attackers had disguised themselves in police uniforms.

The CCTV monitoring stopped working after the explosion, sources said, adding that efforts were under way to further trace their background. The suicide bomber continued to fight for one and a half hours, they added.

The remaining two attackers remained on the roof.

Committee formed for investigation

A five-member committee was formed on Saturday to investigate the attack on the Karachi police office, said a statement. Counter Terrorism Department DIG Zulfiqar Ali Larik would lead the committee.

The committee further comprises DIG South Zone Irfan Ali Baloch, Crime Investigation Agency DIG Muhammad Karim Khan, CTD SSP Operations Tariq Nawaz, and CTD Investigation in charge DSP Raja Umer Khitab.

“The chairman of the committee can co opt any other member required for conduct of investigation,” it saod.

Security Lapse

Preliminary investigation suggests security arrangements at the KPO were woefully inadequate to deal with the possibility of any attack, sources told Aaj News.

The terrorists entered through the police lines and the three checkposts they passed were unmanned.

They scaled the rear wall of the compound undetected and did not encounter any security personnel on their way in.

Investigations have also revealed that no CCTV cameras were installed in the compound at all.

Car owner traced

Investigators have traced the owner of the car that was found inside the compound. Kamran was detained from Bhains (Cattle) Colony No. 6.

He told police officials that he had sold his vehicle to a car showroom and did not know who bought it from the showroom.

They said that the car was sold to a showroom owner in 2014. But, it was sold to different people in the past.

Month-long recce

It was a well-planned attack and the terrorists carried out a “recce” of the KPO for at least fifteen days or a month, said South DIG Police Irfan Baloch on Saturday.

Baloch told reporters that investigators had found three other sets of car license plates inside the vehicle used by terrorists.

He denied social media claims that terrorists were wearing police uniforms.

Counter-Terrorism Department In-charge Raja Umar Khitab said banned TTP was behind the attack and it was supported by Baloch militants.

A TTP spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack in a message sent to the news agency Reuters.

Meanwhile, intelligence agencies were still sweeping the KPO building on Saturday. Snipers have been deployed on the rooftops of KPO and other nearby buildings, sources said.

The building was being swept with the help of sniffer dogs.

This story is being updated