Karachi US consulate attacked, 2 cops die

Officials said the man, who was arrested when he ran out of ammunition, had told police he was an Afghan. Police said he was linked to a local Islamic extremist group.

US Embassy spokesman Terry White said no consulate staff had been hurt in the 1.30pm attack, the first on a US target in Pakistan since June, when a car bomb exploded outside the same building in southern Karachi’s business district, killing 12 Pakistanis and wounding another 20. Some victims of Friday’s attack were sitting inside a tent that serves as a check-post in the narrow lane adjacent to the Consulate and leading to one of its entrances.

Provincial Police Chief Syed Kamal Shah said the wounded were four policemen, a paramilitary ranger and a civilian. The assailant tried to flee through a park after exhausting his ammunition, but was caught by paramilitary officers.

Senior Interior Ministry official Brigadier Javed Cheema said the attacker said he was Afghan, but added: ‘‘Let’s see, because such people change their statements all the time.’’

Deputy Inspector General Fayyaz Leghari said the attacker was a young man in his late 20s. ‘‘He was the sole attacker, but we are trying to determine if any accomplices were present,’’ he said, adding that security cameras at the Consulate had caught the the incident on film.

‘‘The suspect is not linked to Al-Qaeda, but connected to some Pakistani extremist group. We are investigating and trying to ascertain his affiliation,’’ he said.

The attack on the Consulate last year was blamed on Islamic militants opposed to President Pervez Musharraf’s decision to back the US-led war on terror in Afghanistan.

US spokesman White said the Consulate had not been open to the public for months, but was functioning. The road outside the building was sealed off after the attack and officers could be seen photographing empty cartridge cases. (Reuters)