PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s paramilitary Federal Constabulary (FC) on Monday repelled a coordinated terrorist assault on its headquarters in Peshawar, killing all three attackers, officials said.
The attack began early in the morning when the first assailant detonated his suicide vest at the main gate of the FC compound. According to security officials, two additional attackers then attempted to enter the facility but were swiftly engaged by forces stationed inside.
The second militant subsequently blew himself up during the exchange, while the third was shot dead before he could reach deeper into the compound, where hundreds of FC personnel are based.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Ahmad told reporters that a clearance operation was underway. Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed said the FC had been on high alert and responded immediately, with additional police and security units quickly reaching the site and sealing off the area.
Dr Mian Saeed told reporters that three Federal Constabulary personnel were martyred and two others wounded when the first suicide bomber detonated his vest at the entrance.
Security officials said the attackers were linked to what authorities describe as the Indian-sponsored network Fitna al-Khawarij. In Pakistan, the term is used by the government and military to refer to extremist militant groups, including factions tied to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group has regained operational space since 2021 by exploiting cross-border sanctuaries in Afghanistan, according to Pakistani officials.
The attempted breach comes amid a surge in militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where security forces have faced increasing attacks over the past two years.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of allowing the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate freely from Afghan territory, calling it a breach of the Doha framework. Officials say the TTP has become fully operational across the border, posing a serious threat to Pakistan’s internal security.
The group has long used Afghanistan as a sanctuary, but its freedom has expanded significantly since the Taliban takeover on August 15, 2021. TTP fighters and their families are now based in eastern provinces such as Khost, Paktika, Paktia, and Kunar — areas that have become staging grounds for attacks inside Pakistan.
A TTP commander, speaking anonymously, said the group enjoys “unprecedented freedom” under the current Afghan administration. Pakistani officials allege that senior Afghan Taliban figures actively shield and facilitate the TTP, enabling cross-border movement and operations with ease.
