New Al-Qaeda South Asia arm claims Karachi attack

PESHAWAR: Al-Qaeda´s new South Asia branch Thursday claimed responsibility for a weekend raid on a Karachi naval yard that left a sailor and three attackers dead, saying former military officers had helped in the attack, according to foreign news agency.

It is the first attack claimed by the terror network´s new wing, whose creation was announced by chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri last week.

Al-Qaeda in South Asia was launched last week in what experts see as a bid to remain relevant in the face of rising competition by the Islamic State (IS).

"The operation near Karachi shore was an attack by Al-Qaeda in the Subcontinent," an Urdu-language statement from the group sent to AFP said.

It claimed that the target of the raid was a "US supply ship" and said the dead attackers included former Pakistan navy officers.

It was not immediately possible to confirm whether a US ship was present at the port.

Militant groups in the region often exaggerate claims about attacks.

Commodore Nadeem Bukhari, a spokesman for the Pakistan navy said an investigation into the attack was under way.

"It cannot be ruled out but it is still premature to say that it was an inside work," he told AFP.