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Pakistan: 3 killed as suicide bombers attack security HQ in Peshawar
The assault took place as dozens of troops were preparing for the morning parade
Three security personnel were killed and 12 people injured on Monday when three suicide bombers attacked the headquarters of the Federal Constabulary (FC) in the heart of Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. All three attackers were killed in the counter-operation.
The assault took place as dozens of troops were preparing for the morning parade. Peshawar Capital City police officer Mian Saeed Ahmad said the militants tried to breach the complex in a coordinated strike.
“One terrorist blew himself up at the main gate, while two others tried to enter the premises but were gunned down by FC personnel,” he told reporters.
According to Dawn newspaper, the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was formed in 2007 as an umbrella organisation of militant outfits.
Hospital officials said 11 of the injured were admitted to Lady Reading Hospital and one to Khyber Teaching Hospital. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inspector-general of police Zulfiqar Hameed said there were two suicide blasts inside the FC headquarters — one at the gate and another near the motorcycle stand.
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The sound of the explosion triggered panic across nearby residential and commercial areas, with the blast heard from long distances. Video footage showed one of the attackers approaching the gate on foot, draped in a shawl, before detonating himself at the security checkpoint.
Initial findings indicate that after the first blast, the remaining two militants entered the premises through a side gate, armed with rifles and grenades. They opened fire near the motorcycle stand before being killed by security forces within 30 to 40 metres of the entrance. Authorities believe the assailants intended to take hostages, as the headquarters houses senior officers and a large number of personnel.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying timely action by security forces prevented a far greater tragedy. President Asif Ali Zardari also denounced the assault, stating that “externally backed Fitna-al-Khawarij cannot weaken Pakistan’s unity, resilience or resolve.”
The Pakistan government designated the banned TTP as 'Fitna al-Khawarij' last year.
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