PESHAWAR: Three personnel of the Federal Constabulary (FC) were martyred on Monday morning in a suicide attack targeting the force’s headquarters in Peshawar’s Saddar area. The attack unfolded shortly after 8am on a busy city road as FC officials gathered for the week’s opening assembly. CCTV footage showed a suicide bomber, draped in a chaddor, walking towards the main gate before detonating explosives. Within seconds, two additional attackers attempted to storm the compound but were shot dead by alert FC personnel.
Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Dr Mian Saeed Ahmad told reporters that the first blast occurred at the gate, killing three FC men and injuring two others. He added that a swift clearance operation was conducted, preventing the attackers from breaching the facility. Responding to questions about threat alerts, the CCPO said the province’s volatile security situation kept law enforcement on high alert, which helped avert a far more devastating incident.
The Jamatul Ahrar faction of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) later claimed responsibility for the attack. The FC headquarters — renamed from Frontier Constabulary earlier this year — is located in a densely populated area near the military cantonment, housing barracks, hospitals, and residential quarters.
Following the attack, emergencies were declared at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH). LRH received 11 injured individuals, while one was taken to KTH. Monday’s incident marks the second major terrorist attack on a security installation in Peshawar in three years, after the 2023 suicide bombing at Police Lines mosque that killed 84 people.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, praising security forces for their “timely action” and praying for the recovery of the injured. President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed condolences, saying that “externally backed Fitna-al-Khawarij” would not weaken Pakistan’s resolve — a term used by the state to refer to the TTP.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi lauded the bravery of the FC personnel and said the sacrifices of the martyred would always be remembered. KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi paid tribute to the fallen personnel, emphasising that such attacks would not break the morale of the province. He later attended the funeral prayers of the martyrs and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to eliminating terrorism.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also condemned the attack, commending the swift response by FC forces. PTI, PPP, and other political parties issued statements denouncing the incident and expressing solidarity with security personnel. PPP leaders Sherry Rehman and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari stressed that Pakistan’s unity and resilience would not be shaken by such cowardly acts, with Bilawal adding that the martyrs’ sacrifices “would not go in vain.”
Senator Allama Raja Nasir noted a rising pattern of terrorist attacks in recent weeks and called for stronger intelligence coordination and decisive action against militant financiers and planners.
Pakistan has faced a surge in militancy since the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in late 2022. The latest attack comes less than three months after security forces foiled a similar assault on the FC Headquarters in Bannu, in which six soldiers were martyred. Authorities have vowed to intensify counterterrorism efforts amid the escalating threat.
