Intelligence agencies suspect the attackers, who bathed near 50 Ismaili commuters in blood on board a community service bus near Safoora Goth, might try to flee Pakistan by sea, Samaa reported.
According to sources, the agencies have a reason to believe the shooters are planning to leave Karachi in the guise of fishermen from Thatha, Kemari, or Ibrahim Haideri fish harbours in the next 48 hours.
Under the command of Pakistan Navy, Maritime Security Agency, in a bid to thwart terrorists from escaping, has shut down the aforementioned fishing ports for all kinds of outgoing sea traffic leaving only main fish harbor at Karachi’s West Wharf open for business.
The PMSA has also barred all the vendors from renting out private motorboats to anyone for at least two days.
The toll from the attack rose from 43 to 44 after a wounded woman died at the city’s Aga Khan hospital, a spokesman told AFP.
Karachi police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo told AFP the police had rounded up several suspects and most of them were the members of banned militant outfits.
Thebo said: “According to initial investigations, there were six attackers. Three went inside the bus and three remained outside. They fired with 9 mm and Kalashnikov rifles.”
Wednesday’s attack was the first in the country officially claimed by the Islamic State group, which controls swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.
It was also claimed by local militant faction Jundullah, which reportedly pledged its allegiance to the group last year.
Thebo, the police chief, was cautious about the claims and said the attackers seemed to be locals.
“The attacker seemed to be local and knew the area well. Maybe their handlers were from outside Pakistan,” he said.
“In a previous attack on Bohri community mosque the attackers also left a pamphlet, investigators are looking into whether it is the same group which struck yesterday,” he added, referring to another Shiite minority sect.
Wednesday’s attack was the second-deadliest in Pakistan this year after 62 Shiite Muslims were killed in a suicide bombing in late January.
