At least four policemen lost their lives while seven other people received injuries in a suicide attack in Pakistan’s northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province bordering Afghanistan on Thursday, said officials.

The provincial police chief, IG KPK Akhtar Hayat told media that the attack took place in a government administrative compound in the Bara market area of Peshawar city, the provincial capital.

He confirmed that two suicide attackers had tried to enter the premises of the Tehsil office, one from the main gate and the other from the rear.

The attackers were spotted by the policemen and the timely action foiled a “major attack”, said the official.

The provincial Bomb Disposal Unit recovered two suicide vests and confirmed that around 16 kilograms of explosives was used by terrorists in the attack.

The explosions near the main gate caused a part of the building to collapse and heavy machinery was called to the scene to aid in rescue efforts.

Emergency officials confirmed that so far four policemen lost their lives while seven others received injuries.

The area was cordoned off by the security forces and the injured were shifted to the nearby government run medical facility.

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast and expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of police officials in the attack.

He directed the relevant authorities to provide the best medical facilities to the injured and said that the police personnel halted the suspects by risking their lives and foiled the nefarious intentions of the terrorists. He, along with the whole nation, paid tributes to the brave troops of the police, said PM Sharif.

This is the second suicide attack in the week in Peshawar city where at least six security personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) were injured in a suicide blast targeting the FC convoy in Hayatabad area of Peshawar.

A rise in militant attacks is witnessed in the province after banned outfit TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

Source: Kuwait News Agency