At least one FC official martyred in Peshawar blast

At least one Frontier Corps (FC) official was martyred and nine others, including six FC personnel, were injured when a blast targeted a vehicle of security forces in Peshawar's Warsak road area on Monday.

“On 11 September 23, an Improvised Explosive Device exploded on a vehicle of security forces in general area Warsak, Peshawar District,” an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said.

It said that as a result of the explosion, a 29-year-old resident of Bannu district Lance Naik Abdur Rehman embraced martyrdom while three soldiers sustained injuries. 

It stated that the cowardly terrorist act also resulted in the injury of three innocent civilians.

According to ISPR, the sanitisation of the area is being carried out in the area to eliminate the terrorists and their facilitators.

“Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers as well as valiant civilian brethren, further strengthen our resolve,” it added.

Superintendent Warsak Arshad Khan, while expressing grief over the tragic incident, revealed the findings from an initial report. He stated that two FC vehicles were passing by when one of them was attacked. “There were no threat alerts regarding this attack,” he stated.

According to the initial investigation, five kilograms of explosives were used in the Peshawar blast. The report also revealed the use of an IED device. Khan asserted that some suspects have been detained and are now in police custody for further investigation.

Three civilians were also among the injured, confirmed Rescue 1122 officials.

In the wake of the bombing, the K-P Health Department declared an emergency in all medical facilities of the provincial capital. “Doctors and other medical staff in all Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) hospitals are hereby placed on alert,” it stated. The department also instructed all medical staff to stay on duty and cancel their leaves.

“Immediate treatment facilities and presence of medical staff should be ensured for the injured in all hospitals”.

Security forces cordoned off the area following the attack and emergency teams shifted the injured to nearby medical facilities.

The injured were initially transferred to Prime Hospital. However, they were later shifted to Lady Reading Hospital for further treatment.

Muhammad Asim, a spokesperson for the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), confirmed that the hospital is currently treating nine injured blast victims. “The injured include six FC personnel and three civilians,” he said, adding that two FC personnel and one civilian are in critical condition as of now.

Condemnations

Former prime minister and President of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Warsak Road blast in Peshawar. He also prayed for a speedy recovery of those injured.

Also read Soldier martyred in gun battle with terrorists in North Waziristan

Shehbaz further added that the nation can only survive if it gets rid of terrorism and appreciated the efforts of all security forces engaged in the fight against terrorism. “We pay tribute to the spirit, determination and bravery of the officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army, Police and other agencies in the fight against terrorism”.

Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti strongly condemned the explosion and prayed for the martyred security personnel.

He also extended prayers for a speedy recovery of all injured security personnel and civilians.

The minister further added that “cowardly attacks by miscreants cannot demoralize” the armed forces and the nation. “There is no place for extremists in the country,” he stated, assuring that security forces are determined to eliminate terrorism at all costs.

Previous terrorist attacks in K-P

Two days ago, Lance Naik Jamshed Khan, a soldier of the Pakistan Army, embraced martyrdom in a gun battle with terrorists in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the fire exchange took place between security forces and terrorists in the general area Mir Ali, where army troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location.

Also read K-P bolsters security after suicide attacks

Earlier this month, a policeman was gunned down in the Tank district of K-P in broad daylight.

Constable Riaz Gul was deployed for bank security in the jurisdiction of the City Police Station when two unidentified terrorists opened fire on him, killing him on the spot. A passerby was injured in the attack.

It was the second terrorist attack in the district after the August 11 high-profile kidnapping and murder of Malik Ghulam Habib Mehsud of South Waziristan district who was the elder brother of former K-P IGP Salahuddin Mehsud.

CTD ops hindered by resource gap

K-P has found itself grappling with an alarming surge in terrorism, yet it has failed to establish offices and headquarters for its Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) or provide it with modern vehicles and essential arms and ammunition.

Despite receiving millions of rupees over the past nine years, the CTD lacks a dedicated headquarters building, which was supposed to have been completed years ago.

Additionally, offices in the Malakand, Bannu, and Kohat regions remain unfinished, severely hampering the efficiency of this vital counter-terrorism unit.

According to data available with The Express Tribune, the province received a substantial sum of Rs415 billion from 2010 to 2023 to address the losses inflicted by waves of terrorism.