Pakistani city of Peshawar hit by explosions Skip to main content

Pakistani city of Peshawar hit by explosions

At least three people have died in an attack involving blasts and gunfire on the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, near the US consulate.
US officials confirmed that the consulate was the target of the attack.
Plumes of smoke were seen over the area and several buildings were said to have collapsed. Reports said a protracted gun battle followed the blasts.

The blasts came hours after 38 people died in a suspected suicide attack at a rally in another northwestern town.
The target of the attack, in Timergara, Lower Dir district, was the Awami National Party (ANP), the ruling coalition in North West Frontier Province.
'Checkpoint attacked'
The explosions took place near Shama Square, a major crossroads at the northern end of Peshawar's cantonment area, near the US consulate.
There are also some army barracks and offices of the army's Military Intelligence (MI) in the vicinity.
An Associated Press reporter at the scene said two of the explosions were just 20m (yards) from the consulate, which is in a heavily fortified area.
The BBC's Alastair Leithead in Islamabad says that this attack is the first against a US target in four years.
TV footage showed army soldiers taking battle positions on the main Khyber Road where the blasts took place, and witnesses told the BBC Urdu service a couple of armoured vehicles parked outside the consulate had caught fire.
An eyewitness told Reuters news agency that gunmen had attacked a checkpoint near the consulate.
"I saw attackers in two vehicles. Some of them carried rocket-propelled grenades. They first opened fire at security personnel at the post near the consulate and then blasts went off," said Siraj Afridi.
Peshawar, which is on the edge of Pakistan's tribal areas, has been frequently targeted by Islamist militants.
An official of the ruling ANP party, Hashim Khan Babar, told the media the attacks appeared to be in response to a major security operation which was launched in the Orakzai tribal region near Peshawar last week.

BBC NEWS
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