A deadly attack shook Peshawar on Monday after three suicide bombers targeted the headquarters of Pakistan’s Federal Constabulary.
Three security personnel were killed and several others wounded.
The assault, claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar — a breakaway faction of the TTP — immediately raised alarms in a city already on edge.
According to Peshawar’s police chief Mian Saeed Ahmad, one attacker blew himself up at the main gate.
The other two tried to force their way inside but were swiftly gunned down.
Their goal, officials say, was far more devastating than what they achieved.
Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder reported that more than 400 personnel were gathered for a parade at the time.
“Senior officials were expected… the attackers were trying to maximise casualties,” he noted.
Terrorist Attack Foiled
Quick action, however, prevented a much larger tragedy.
At Lady Reading Hospital, all 11 injured were said to be in stable condition — a rare piece of relief in an otherwise grim day.
Leaders across Pakistan condemned the assault.
President Asif Ali Zardari labelled it a “cowardly act by foreign-backed terrorists.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the rapid response of security forces, vowing to “thwart the evil designs” threatening the country.
The attack comes amid a recent surge in violence.
This surge is heightening tensions with Afghanistan’s Taliban government, which Pakistan accuses of sheltering TTP militants.
In a region already bracing for the next blow, the question remains: how long until the cycle breaks?
