UAE condemns terrorist attack on police headquarters in Karachi

The UAE has strongly condemned a terrorist attack that targeted the police headquarters in Karachi in southern Pakistan and left two people dead.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) affirmed that the UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability in contravention of human values and principles.

The Ministry expressed its sincere condolences to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and its people, as well as its sympathy to the families of the victims of this heinous crime.

Terrorists stormed the police station in Karachi on Friday, killing two people and injuring 11 others in a hail of gunfire and a series of loud explosions before they themselves were killed, officials said.

Security forces retook the building after several hours and killed three militants, a government spokesman said. 

A huge explosion was heard inside the station after a series of blasts when it was first attacked.

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), took responsibility for the attack in a message sent by their spokesman to journalists.

The station houses offices of the city's most senior police.  Deputy Inspector General Irfan Baloch told Reuters there could have been up to 30 police at the station at the time of the attack.