PESHAWAR: Federal Constabulary personnel foiled a major coordinated terrorist attack on their Peshawar headquarters on Monday by deploying a series of rapid tactical moves that stopped three heavily armed militants — including two suicide bombers — at the perimeter of the compound.
CCTV footage and security officials confirmed that FC troops executed a deliberate defensive manoeuvre, abandoning the guard room to lure the attackers into a confined kill zone, then shifting swiftly to armoured cover and engaging the militants with controlled, precise fire that prevented them from reaching a morning parade of hundreds of personnel inside.
According to Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Dr. Mian Saeed Ahmad, the assault began when the first attacker detonated his suicide vest at the main gate of the Federal Constabulary’s provincial headquarters. The explosion signalled the start of a coordinated three-man attack involving militants armed with automatic rifles, spare ammunition magazines, and hand grenades strapped to their vests.
At the time of the assault, a large number of FC personnel were gathered in an open ground inside the compound for morning parade drills — a scenario that could have resulted in mass casualties had the attackers breached the perimeter.
CCTV footage reviewed by WE News shows two militants, dressed in shalwar kameez and carrying automatic weapons, entering through the main gate moments after the initial blast by the first suicide bomber. They moved towards the guard room, which FC personnel had intentionally vacated as part of a defensive tactic designed to draw infiltrators into a confined area.
As the attackers approached the abandoned guard post, FC personnel positioned behind cover opened precise fire, forcing the militants to take shelter inside the guard room. One of the attackers then detonated his suicide vest, causing a powerful internal blast but failing to advance deeper into the facility.
Troops stationed near an armoured personnel carrier quickly repositioned, firing controlled bursts at the remaining militant as he attempted to move forward. The third attacker was shot dead before he could reach the parade ground.
Officials noted that the militants were heavily equipped for a prolonged engagement and intended to inflict maximum casualties. However, the rapid mobilisation of FC troops and their tactical use of armoured cover ensured the attackers were eliminated within minutes.
Security sources said the militants were linked to extremist networks operating from Afghan sanctuaries, which Pakistan has repeatedly accused of orchestrating cross-border terrorism.
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.
