Major Security Breach in Peshawar
In a brazen morning assault, two suicide bombers and an armed accomplice launched a coordinated attack on the headquarters of a security force in Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The violent incident resulted in three security personnel losing their lives and left eleven other people wounded, according to police and emergency services cited by The Associated Press.
Timely Response Prevents Larger Tragedy
The attack unfolded during morning preparations at the large facility situated centrally within the city. Peshawar Police Chief Saeed Ahmad revealed that security forces were organizing for their morning parade when the assault began. One attacker detonated his explosive device at the main entrance to the provincial headquarters of the Federal Constabulary. The second bomber and his armed partner were subsequently shot dead by alert officers near the vehicle park.
Ahmad provided crucial details that approximately 150 security personnel were present on the open parade ground within the facility for morning drills when the attack occurred. He confirmed that police investigation concluded three attackers were involved in the coordinated assault.
"The terrorists involved in today's attack were on foot and failed to reach the parade area, and a timely response by our forces prevented a much larger tragedy," Ahmad told The Associated Press, highlighting how the swift action potentially saved numerous lives.
Investigation and Political Fallout
Following the attack, authorities completed a comprehensive security sweep and collected samples of body parts from the two suicide bombers for DNA testing. Police are currently investigating to determine the identity and nationality of the three attackers.
Medical authorities confirmed that all injured persons are receiving appropriate care. Asim Khan, spokesperson for the government-run Lady Reading Hospital, stated that all 11 injured individuals are currently in stable condition.
The attack drew immediate condemnation from Pakistan's highest leadership. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in separate statements, denounced the violence. Zardari characterized it as a "cowardly act by foreign-backed terrorists", while Sharif acknowledged that the swift response of security forces prevented a larger catastrophe. Both leaders offered condolences to the families of the victims.
No organization immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP) have been widely blamed for similar previous assaults across the country. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp surge in militant attacks recently, with this incident occurring less than two weeks after a suicide bomber struck near a courthouse in Islamabad, killing 12 people.
The ongoing violence has severely strained relations between Islamabad and the Taliban administration in Kabul. Pakistan alleges that the Pakistani Taliban operates with impunity inside Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021, while Kabul refutes these accusations despite escalating tensions between the neighboring nations.
