At least three people were killed on Monday after gunmen and two suicide bombers attacked the headquarters of a paramilitary force in Peshawar, Pakistan, police said. The target was the Frontier Constabulary’s main complex, located in a crowded area near a military cantonment, adding to the panic as the assault unfolded, Reuters reported. 

“The first suicide bomber first carried out an attack on the main entrance of the constabulary and the other one entered the compound,” a senior official said, quoted by Reuters. 

Army and police teams have sealed off the area and are cautiously managing the operation, as it is suspected that some attackers may still be inside the headquarters.

The Federal Constabulary — formerly known as the Frontier Constabulary until it was renamed by the government in July, has been under increased pressure as militant attacks continue to rise in Pakistan, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

According to Dawn, the surge in violence grew worse after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022 and vowed to target security forces and law enforcement agencies. The latest attack has come amid a wave of deadly incidents across the country. Earlier this year, at least ten people were killed and several others injured when a car bomb exploded outside a paramilitary headquarters in Quetta. 

Tensions have been rising in the region. On September 3, a suicide bomber targeted a political rally in Quetta, killing 11 people and injuring more than 40. The explosion hit a stadium parking area where hundreds of Balochistan National Party supporters had gathered. Security forces in Pakistan continue to battle a long-running insurgency in Balochistan, which has caused 782 deaths in 2024 alone.

In March, the Baloch Liberation Army hijacked a train and killed off-duty soldiers. Since January, more than 430 people, most of them security personnel, have been killed in various attacks, including six soldiers in Bannu.