At least three terrorists were killed after a group of armed men stormed into head office building of the Karachi Police chief late on Friday evening, the Dawn reported. Banned terrorist outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has responsibility for the attack.

Security forces seized control of the five-storey police building around 10.50 pm on Friday with four others – two police constables, a rangers personnel and a civilian – also being killed in a heavy exchange of firing, PTI reported.

Initial reports suggested that around eight armed men had entered the building. However, Deputy Inspector General (East) of Karachi Police Muqaddas Haider that there were only three attackers who drove in a car. One of them blew himself up on the building’s fourth floor while two others were shot dead on the roof, Haider told Dawn.

Deputy Inspector General (South) Irfan Baloch said the police also found two cars with their doors open one at the back entrance of the building and one at the front in which the terrorists came around 7.10 pm on Friday,” he said.

Baloch said the bomb disposal squad has combed both cars for explosive devices and also the suicide vests of the terrorists. “They came prepared for a stand off and had sophisticated weapons and explosives, they managed to get into the building wearing police uniforms,” Baloch said.

The attack comes as a big concern and embarrassment as the Karachi Police chief office is located on the the city’s main thoroughfare Shahrah-e-Faisal Road which also has a Pakistan Airforce base and several five-star hotels in close proximity.