KARACHI: Police in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi shot down a suicide bomber and a militant on Friday as they attacked a vehicle carrying five Japanese nationals, all of whom survived, a police spokesperson said.

Islamist militants seeking to overthrow the government and set up their own strict brand of Islamic rule have launched some of Pakistan's bloodiest attacks over the last few years, sometimes targeting foreigners, such as Chinese.

The Japanese survivors have been moved to a safe place in police custody, the police spokesperson, Abrar Hussain Baloch, said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack from any militant group. (Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi and Gibran Peshimam in Islamabad; Writing by Shivam Patel; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Clarence Fernandez)