Eight hurt in suicide attack on FC vehicle in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Six security personnel and two other people were injured when a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of the Frontier Corps (FC) in the posh Hayatabad Township on Tuesday afternoon.

The convoy was targeted near the bridge between Phase 6 and Phase 2 of the township. The condition of all the security men is said to be stable.

“It was a suicide attack. The bomb disposal unit is collecting forensic evidence from the spot,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Akhtar Hayat Khan, told The News. Experts believe that the suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the vehicle of security forces. The car of the bomber caught fire and its flames and smoke could be seen from afar. Rumours were rife that the car carried two bombers but the officials denied it. The powerful blast was heard in parts of Peshawar and nearby Khyber district.

The staff of a nearby restaurant and other people in the vicinity rushed to help the wounded security men. A contingent of security personnel reached the spot and cordoned it off. Senior officials and investigators collected forensic evidence as well as CCTV footage. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Operations, Haroon Rashid, told reporters that a major operation was carried out in the area against suspicious elements in addition to collecting forensic evidence. “Six jawans, who were injured in the attack, are stable,” Superintendent of Police, Cantt, Waqas Rafiq, told reporters at the site of the blast. The SP Cantt said that the police had beefed up security in the provincial capital, including Hayatabad, ahead of Muharram. He maintained that it was being investigated as to how the bomber managed to attack the convoy. The upscale Hayatabad Township that borders Khyber district witnessed a number of attacks in the past but the security situation has improved for quite some time. This time the FC was targeted with a suicide attack in the provincial capital. A number of politicians condemned the Hayatabad attack. Awami National Party provincial president Aimal Wali Khan said the suicide attack just before the advent of Muharram was a question mark on the security situation. He asked for taking all measures to provide security to people and restore durable peace.