Peshawar Terror Attack Leaves Three Dead as Security Forces Battle Gunmen Inside HQ

At least three personnel from Pakistan's Frontier Constabulary (FC), a federal paramilitary force, were killed and five others wounded when three suicide bombers launched a coordinated assault on the force's headquarters in Peshawar's densely populated Saddar area on November 24, 2025. The attackers struck early in the morning, with one bomber detonating at the main gate and a second at the adjacent motorcycle stand inside the compound, allowing the third to breach the perimeter and open fire before being neutralized by responding security forces. Police and military units swiftly cordoned off the site near a military cantonment, containing the situation amid reports of heavy gunfire and additional explosions, though no militant group has claimed responsibility as of midday.

CCTV footage circulating on social media captured the initial blast at approximately 8:11 a.m., showing a massive explosion at the entrance that hurled debris and injured a nearby passerby, whom FC personnel quickly pulled to safety. Eyewitnesses described chaos as roads were sealed and traffic halted, with residents reporting intermittent bursts of gunfire from within the complex. Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Dr. Mian Saeed confirmed the attack, stating that forces were "carefully handling the situation" due to suspicions of lingering threats inside, while ambulances ferried the wounded to Lady Reading Hospital and Combined Military Hospital. Security sources recovered two suicide vests and eight hand grenades from the attackers, two of whom were identified as Afghan nationals, fueling speculation of cross-border involvement by groups like the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault, attributing it to "Fitna-ul-Khawarij" militants and vowing retribution, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur echoed calls for a robust response. The incident prompted a heightened security alert across the province, with schools and markets in the vicinity shuttered temporarily. Local media highlighted the FC's role in counterinsurgency operations along the Afghan border, noting the headquarters' vulnerability despite fortifications.

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This attack underscores a surge in militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where TTP-linked violence has intensified since the Taliban's 2021 Afghan takeover, claiming over 1,000 lives this year alone, according to Pakistani think tanks. It echoes a March 2025 car bombing at the FC's Quetta facility that killed 10, highlighting persistent threats to security installations despite ongoing military offensives like Operation Azm-e-Istihkam. As investigations unfold, the assault has drawn international concern, with U.S. and Afghan envoys urging enhanced border cooperation to stem the flow of arms and fighters.

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