Suicide bomber strikes Peshawar's Hayatabad

Three Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel were martyred in a suicide blast in Peshawar's Hayatabad area on Monday morning, Dawn News quoted police as saying.

Nine people, including two security personnel, were injured in the explosion, which occurred near the Bagh-e-Naran Chowk in Hayatabad, SP Cantonment Peshawar Imran Malik said.

The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to media outlets by its spokesman.

According to the SP, the suicide attacker riding a motorcycle targeted the FC convoy when it was travelling from its camp in Hayatabad to the headquarters in Qila Bala Hisar. The vehicle was moving when the blast occurred, he said.

SSP (operations) Sajjad Khan said 10-12 kilograms of explosives were used by the bomber, who was riding a Honda CG125 bike.

Two security personnel including a major were martyred in the loud explosion, while a third FC official succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

Two vehicles that were part of the convoy were damaged in the blast. Security personnel cordoned off the area after the explosion as rescue services shifted the injured to Hayatabad Medical Complex.

At least one Frontier Corps (FC) personnel was martyred in a suspected suicide blast in Balochistan's Chaman area near the Pak-Afghan border today.

The suicide blast targeted the Talab Checkpost, security sources said.

The attacks come a day after the Pak­istan Army announced a fresh operation in Khyber Agency’s Rajgal Valley to "forestall entry" of the militant Islamic State (IS) group from across the border.

Military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said on Sunday that law enforcement personnel and 'soft targets' have become the new targets for militants.

Source: MENA