- Prime Minister, President praises timely action of security forces in Peshawar.
- KP CM Afridi pays tribute to martyrs, says morale cannot be shaken.
- 10 injured in Peshawar headquarters attack, including three FC personnel.
PESHAWAR: At least three terrorists were killed and as many Federal Constabulary (FC) personnel were martyred as security forces repelled an attack on the FC headquarters in Peshawar, officials said on Monday.
Peshawar Metropolitan Police Officer Dr. Mian Saeed said three suicide bombers tried to enter the police headquarters. “One attacker detonated himself at the main gate of the FC headquarters while two others managed to enter the premises,” he said.
The CCPO said FC personnel immediately engaged the suicide bombers and killed two terrorists inside the building. He confirmed that all three suicide bombers were killed in the shootout with security personnel.
Dr. Saeed added that the timely response of FC personnel helped prevent the attackers from causing a major incident. He said the Saddar area around the headquarters was cordoned off and traffic was diverted as security agencies launched a search operation.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commander of the Federal Police Javed Iqbal also confirmed the killing of all three attackers. He said three FC personnel were martyred in the suicide attack.
He added that an extensive search operation was continuing inside the FC headquarters to ensure that no further threat remained.
In addition, 10 people, including three FC personnel, were also injured as a result of the attack. Nine injured were taken to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), according to the hospital’s administration.
A spokesperson for LRH said the injured include three Federal Constabulary (FC) personnel and six civilians. All the injured are reported to be out of danger, the administration added.
Condemnations
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the terror attack and praised the security forces for their timely action, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Reiterating the government’s unwavering commitment to eliminate terrorism, the prime minister vowed to dismantle any plot targeting Pakistan’s sovereignty and security.
President Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the attack and condoled with the families of the martyrs. He argued that externally supported Fitna al-Khawarij cannot undermine Pakistan’s unity, resilience or resolve.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also paid tribute to both the martyrs and the security forces and stressed that such cowardly attacks cannot weaken our morale.
Increase in terrorism
Terrorist attacks have seen a sharp rise in Pakistan, especially in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan, since 2021, when the Afghan Taliban regime came to power.
In September this year, at least six Pakistan Army and Federal Constabulary (FC) personnel embraced martyrdom after Indian-sponsored militants attacked the FC headquarters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Bannu district, Inter-Services Public Relations had said.
The violence spread to other regions of the country, including Islamabad, where a suicide bombing on November 11 resulted in the martyrdom of 12 and injured 36 others, among them lawyers and petitioners.
Islamabad has repeatedly called on Kabul and the international community to address the presence of terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan, including those of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Despite Pakistan’s efforts to engage the Taliban regime on the issue of cross-border terrorism, Kabul has been largely unresponsive to its concerns.
Recent talks, brokered by Qatar and Turkiye, on regional peace ended without a breakthrough due to what Islamabad said were the Taliban’s “illogical arguments” and their views far from reality.
