Karachi: Around 50 people belonging to the Agha Khan (Naziri Ismaili) community have been killed and another 20 critically wounded including women and children , wounded when half a dozen unknown armed men opened fire on a bus near Safoora Chowk area in Karachi.
According to police, unknown assailants riding motorcycles opened fire on a bus which left at least 50 people dead including 16 women while several people sustained injuries. Many of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.
Over 50 people were aboard the bus including children and women. The men sprayed the vehicle with bullets. Then entered the bus and forced people to put their heads down and then shot them one by one, in the back of the head, execution style. They were alleged to have used 9mm pistols since over 60 pistol empties were found at the site.
According to eye witness accounts the murderers were chanting Allah hu Akber as they went on their grisly business.
Initial investigations and eyewitnesses accounts suggest that gunmen, who attacked a bus killing dozens of innocent civilians this morning, were clad in a police-like uniform.
Eyewitnesses said that gunmen clad in police-like stopped the bus on the pretext of snap checking, adding they entered the bus and fired at passengers from close range mostly on heads.
Police reached the spot after the incident and started investigation. A search operation is underway in the area while a heavy contingent of Rangers has also arrived at the spot.
“At least six gunmen attacked the bus in the Safoora Goth area of Karachi,” a senior police official told the media.
Emergency has been imposed in Jinnah Hospital, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Aga Khan Hospital and the nearby Memon Hospital where the injured are being shifted.
Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has summoned a report from IG Sindh and DG Rangers while Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has “taken notice” of the incident
The attackers managed to escape from the scene after the incident.
Security and rescue teams reached the spot.
Rescue personnel shifted the victims to a nearby hospital.
Police and Rangers personnel cordoned off the area as a probe into the incident is underway.
 community members were killed and 20 badly wounded, including women and children.){kind=link}