Five dead in suicide bombing on paramilitary headquarters

Two suicide bombers have attacked the headquarters of a Pakistani paramilitary force on Monday, killing three security officials and wounding at least 12 people.

Police told BBC Urdu that the attackers were armed as they charged at the Federal Constabulary’s headquarters in Peshawar in north-western Pakistan.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The constabulary’s complex is located in a highly secured area in Peshawar, and the attackers would have had to breach multiple levels of security to break in.

Witnesses told local media they heard two loud explosions at around 08:10 local time (03:10 GMT) on Monday.

The area has been cordoned off and rescue teams are currently on site. One official said five security officials and seven civilians were injured.

Pakistan authorities have described the attack as a “foiled terrorist plot”, noting that the attackers were gunned down at the gate, before they managed to enter the building.

“The perpetrators of this incident should be identified as soon as possible and brought to justice,” said Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan’s Federal Constabulary, previously known as the Frontier Constabulary, is responsible for handling situations beyond the capabilities of the police force, including tribal incursions and criminal gang violence.

Peshawar is part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which sits along the border Afghanistan and has long been a flashpoint for militant violence.

The Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, is active in the province and had claimed responsibility for similar attacks across the country.

Additional reporting by Kelly Ng