Senior police officer escapes unhurt in SW Pakistan's suicide attack

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- A senior police officer has escaped unhurt in a suicide blast targeting his vehicle in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi, local reports said early Wednesday.

Senior Superintendent Police Rao Anwar was on his way home when his convoy was targeted by unknown militants in Malir area of the city late Tuesday, Samaa News said.

The officer said that the suicide bomber rammed himself into his vehicle while his accomplices opened fire at it, adding that two of the gunmen were killed in retaliatory fire by his guards whereas others fled the scene under the cover of night darkness.

Anwar remained unhurt in the attack as he was traveling in a bomb proof vehicle, and the suicide bomber, who ambushed the convoy, was killed in the incident.

No group or person has claimed the attack yet.

Police cordoned off the area and kicked off a search operation to track down the fleeing militants.

Anwar is known as an encounter specialist in the police circles of Karachi as he has killed many members of the proscribed organizations in various encounters and raids at their hideouts in the city.

This was the third attack on him since 2012. The earlier two attacks, one in 2012 and the other in 2015 left five people killed and several others injured, but the Anwar escaped unhurt in both of the attacks. Enditem