Peshawar, Pakistan — Gunmen launched an attack on the Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters in Peshawar on Monday, prompting a major security operation as explosions and gunfire were reported in the area, according to police.
“The FC headquarters is under attack. We are responding and the area has been cordoned off,” police official Mian Saeed Ahmad told Dawn. Security forces said multiple blasts were heard near FC Chowk, triggering panic in the Saddar area as videos of the incident circulated on social media.
Authorities have not yet confirmed casualty figures. However, the Pakistan Army’s media wing, ISPR, stated that a counterterror operation is underway, with rapid-response units deployed to secure the perimeter and neutralise the attackers. ISPR said an official statement with details will follow once the situation is fully contained.
The provincial government has advised residents to avoid the Saddar and Cantt zones until clearance is issued by security agencies.
Recent Spike in Attacks
Monday’s assault comes amid a resurgence of militant violence in Pakistan’s northwestern and southwestern regions. Earlier this year, a powerful car bomb outside a paramilitary base in Quetta killed at least ten people.
On September 3, a suicide bombing at a political rally in Quetta killed 11 and injured over 40, targeting supporters of the Balochistan National Party.
Pakistan’s security forces continue to battle a longstanding insurgency in Balochistan and increasing militant activity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In 2024 alone, the Balochistan insurgency has claimed an estimated 782 lives, while over 430 security personnel have been killed in various attacks since January. In March, the Baloch Liberation Army hijacked a train and killed several off-duty troops.
Government Response
Interior Ministry officials said counterterror operations have been intensified nationwide following Monday’s attack. “The state will not tolerate assaults on its security institutions,” a ministry spokesperson said, adding that intelligence agencies have been directed to trace the network behind the Peshawar incident. (Source: IndiaToday and other syndicates)
