By Shamim Shahid
Three suicide attackers targeted the headquarters of a paramilitary force in Pakistan’s city of Peshawar, resulting in the deaths of at least three security officials and injuring several others. The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for Monday’s assault on the Federal Constabulary (FC) complex. Although distinct from the Afghan Taliban leadership, the TTP maintains ties with the group.
According to Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Mian Saeed Ahmad, “Initially, three militants attempted to storm the headquarters. One attacker detonated his explosives at the entrance gate, while the remaining two attempted to breach the compound but were eliminated by FC personnel.” As per Asim Khan, a representative of the government-administered Lady Reading Hospital quoted by AP, all 11 individuals injured in the incident have been reported to be in stable condition.
Al Jazeera correspondent Kamal Hyder, reporting from Peshawar, said the attackers were attempting to target over 400 security personnel participating in a parade at the base. “Senior officials were expected to attend the event, indicating that the attackers intended to inflict maximum casualties,” Hyder stated. “They were intercepted by security forces, and although all three militants were neutralised, three security personnel lost their lives during the confrontation.”
Hyder further noted growing public concern over a recent wave of attacks, intensified by Pakistan’s escalated counter-terrorism operations targeting TTP militants, during which dozens have been eliminated over the past week.
The FC headquarters, located in a densely populated zone of Peshawar—the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province—became the latest scene of violence in the region.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the attack in separate statements. Zardari described the incident as “a cowardly act by terrorists supported from abroad.” In a message shared via X, the president offered his “deepest condolences” and commended the bravery of the security forces. Prime Minister Sharif said the rapid response by FC personnel prevented a far greater tragedy, adding: “We will defeat the malicious agendas of those who attack Pakistan’s sovereignty.”
The assault occurred less than two weeks after a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a court in Islamabad near a police vehicle, claiming 12 lives.
The ongoing violence has deepened tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Islamabad has accused the Pakistan Taliban of finding safe haven in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.
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