An unidentified man shot dead three policemen and injured seven others guarding the US consulate in the southern Pakistani port city Karachi today.
The shooting happened at 1.45 p.m. (8.45 a.m. Irish time) when a lone attacker, carrying his own pistol, grabbed a submachine gun from one of the police guards and sprayed the rest of the guards with bullets, according to a police officer who saw the attack.
Police believed the attacker settled for the guards as a target as he was unable to penetrate the security barriers.
Security has been heavily fortified around the US mission since a suicide car bomb attack on June 14th killed 12 Pakistanis.
The mission moved to new premises two months later and its location was kept secret for several months.
Today's attack comes amid a swelling tide of anti-US sentiment in this Islamic republic as a US-led war against Iraq appears more likely.
AFP