Peshawar, November 24,2025: Three personnel of the Federal Constabulary (FC) were martyred and two injured in a suicide attack on the force’s headquarters in Peshawar’s Saddar area early Monday morning, in what officials described as a major terror bid foiled by a swift security response.
The attack unfolded shortly after 8am on one of the city’s busiest roads as personnel gathered for the Monday morning assembly inside the compound. CCTV footage showed a militant draped in a chaddar walking up to the main gate before detonating himself. Seconds later, two more assailants attempted to storm the facility but were shot dead by FC personnel.
Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Dr Mian Saeed Ahmad said the attackers were intercepted at the entrance.
“Initially, three militants tried to attack the headquarters. One detonated himself at the gate, while two others were neutralised before entering the premises,” he told reporters.
He confirmed that three FC personnel were martyred, while two others sustained injuries. A clearance operation concluded soon after.
Responding to a question on prior threat alerts, the CCPO said the overall security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa demanded constant vigilance. “We were already on high alert. Their attempt to enter failed because of the preparedness of our personnel,” he added.
The Jamatul Ahrar faction of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) later claimed responsibility for the attack.
The FC, formerly known as the Frontier Constabulary until it was renamed in July, operates out of a densely populated area near Peshawar Cantonment. The headquarters houses barracks, a hospital and residential blocks.
An emergency was declared at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH). LRH officials confirmed receiving 11 injured persons, while one wounded individual was shifted to KTH.
This is the second major attack on a security installation in Peshawar in recent years. In February 2023, a suicide bomber struck the mosque within Police Lines, killing 84 worshippers.
Leadership condemns attack
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, praising FC personnel for preventing a larger tragedy.
“Timely action taken by security forces saved us from major harm,” he said, reiterating the government’s resolve to eradicate terrorism “at all costs”.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed solidarity with the families of the martyred, stating that “externally backed Fitna-al-Khawarij cannot weaken Pakistan’s unity or resolve”.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the “brave FC soldiers” whose actions thwarted a deadlier assault. He assured families of the martyred that their sacrifices “will always be remembered”.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly attempt to shake our morale”.
“Our resolve will not waver. Such attacks cannot deter us,” he said.
CM Afridi visited LRH, met the injured, and later attended the funeral prayers of the martyred personnel. He said terrorists “have always attempted to destabilise peace in KP and Pakistan”, but vowed they would be defeated.
He added that the provincial government had ordered modern equipment for police forces, though delivery was pending. “Capacity building of police is underway,” he noted.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also condemned the attack, saying the nation “stands firmly with security forces in the fight against terrorism”.
The PTI termed the attack “unfortunate” and expressed solidarity with security forces.
PPP leaders Sherry Rehman and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari issued strong condemnations, honouring the sacrifices of FC personnel and asserting that terrorist plots — “often backed by external actors” — would fail.
Senator Allama Raja Nasir warned of a “disturbing pattern” of recent attacks — from Cadet College Wana to Islamabad’s district courts and now Peshawar — calling for transparency, better intelligence coordination, and decisive action against TTP and its affiliates.
Pakistan has seen a renewed surge in militancy, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. Monday’s attack comes less than three months after six soldiers were martyred when terrorists targeted the FC Headquarters in Bannu in September.
According to the military, that attack was carried out by an “Indian proxy Fitna-al-Khawarij”.
