Militants throw grenades, open fire at Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

A group of militants armed with guns and grenades stormed the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi. Attackers and several security personnel were killed in the battle, local media reported, citing police.

The attack occurred at around 10am local time. Four gunmen dressed as off-duty police officers drove to a parking lot in front of the stock exchange building in a single vehicle and threw a grenade at the main entrance gate, police said. The terrorists then opened fire indiscriminately, forcing people to flee in panic.

Around 150 employees were at the building during the assault, the stock exchange director told the media. They locked themselves inside their offices.

Police and security personnel were quickly dispatched to the scene, and a fierce firefight ensued in which all of the terrorists were shot dead. Police seized AK-47 rifles, hand grenades, and other explosives.

Two security guards and a police officer were killed in the attack, officials said. Seven people were injured.

The insurgent group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the raid. Founded in 2000, BLA seeks to establish an independent state in Balochistan, Pakistan’s southwestern province.

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