Three Federal Constabulary personnel were killed and 11 others injured on Monday when a suicide bomber detonated explosives at the main gate of the FC headquarters in Peshawar, in an attack carried out as hundreds of personnel gathered for a morning parade, according to Pakistan’s electronic media news.
The assault unfolded in the city’s Saddar area shortly after 8 a.m. Initial investigations suggest the first bomber approached the compound on foot and attempted to slip past the security barrier. Alert personnel stopped him, but he detonated his explosives at the gate, sending a shockwave through the area.
According to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police, two additional assailants also wearing suicide vests, then tried to storm the compound. Both were shot dead during a swift response by security forces before they could detonate their devices. Police teams later worked to defuse additional explosives the attackers had brought to the site.
CCTV footage captured the initial blast, showing a plume of debris rising as officers rushed to repel the remaining attackers. Around 450 FC personnel had assembled for the parade at the time, heightening the risk of mass casualties.
Medical officials at Lady Reading Hospital confirmed they received 11 injured victims, including both FC personnel and civilians. All were reported to be in stable condition, and an emergency was declared at the facility as rescue teams mobilized. Rescue 1122 deployed more than 50 responders along with ambulances and fire vehicles.
In the immediate aftermath, police sealed entry and exit points across Peshawar, halted public transit along major routes, and placed the city on high alert while a clearance operation was launched.
There was no prior intelligence warning of an imminent strike, K-P Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed noted, but he said decisive action prevented far greater devastation. No group has claimed responsibility, though officials suspect the TTP.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the attack, praising the “bravery and vigilance” of security personnel. Afridi vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice, declaring that Pakistan’s resolve against terrorism “will not waver.”
