Attack on Peshawar’s Christian Colony: Civilian killed, all terrorists dead

PESHAWAR: At least one civilian and four suicide bombers were killed after terrorists attacked Peshawar’s Christian Colony on Friday morning and exchanged fire with security forces, security sources said.

The Jamaatul Ahrar militant group claimed the attack.

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Asim Bajwa confirmed “all four suicide bombers were killed” and a clearance operation is underway.

Firing reportedly began around 6am, when terrorists attacked the colony, security sources told DawnNews. The gunmen were wearing suicide jackets, the sources said.

Two of the attackers detonated their suicide jackets, and two others were killed by security forces, the sources said.

Peshawar has suffered numerous terrorist attacks but it was not immediately clear who was behind today’s assault. The city suffered its worst terror attack in December 2014 when Taliban gunmen massacred more than 150 people, most of them children, at an army-run school.

But recently there had been a lull in violence. The last deadly attack in the city came in March this year when a bomb ripped through a bus carrying government employees, killing 15.

Christian Colony is situated on the outskirts of Peshawar near the borders of Khyber Agency and Mohmand Agency. Situated close by are an FC training centre, a cadet college, and an Army Public School.

These installations were initially the target of the attack, security agency sources told DawnNews, but since security forces had already received intelligence and were alert to the threat, the terrorists moved in to attack the Christian Colony instead, they said.

A watchman in the colony was the first to fire at the terrorists, they said.

The area, which is situated near the Pak-Afghan border, is susceptible to cross-border movement of terrorists. Tehreek-i-Taliban splinter group Jamaatul Ahrar has a presence in the area, the sources said.

The attack on Christian Colony comes barely a day after Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa gave an exhaustive rundown of progress made against militants in the country’s northwestern region in Operation Zarb-i-Azb which was launched in June 2014.

He highlighted that Pakistan had suffered a cumulative loss of $106.98 billion in the war on terror between 2001 and 2015. “We are not doing it for anyone but ourselves,” he stressed.

He said 3,500 terrorists had been eliminated during the course of Operation Zarb-i-Azb, while 2,272 soldiers were and 537 personnel had embraced martyrdom, including 18 officers, 35 junior commissioned officers and 484 soldiers.

This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.