PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber apparently tried to assassinate a senior police officer here on Thursday morning but managed to kill his two police bodyguards instead, sources said.

Deputy Commandant of the Frontier Reserve Police Malik Tariq, who was said to be the target, was injured in the deadly ambush claimed by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Five other people were also injured.

The bomber rammed his motorcycle into Mr Tariq’s vehicle in Hayatabad Township when the officer was going to his office.

The two bodyguards killed in the attack were Lal Bahadur and Abrar Hussain.

The injured were taken to the Hayatabad Medical Complex. Doctors at the hospital said Mr Tariq received burn injuries on his face and the others sustained multiple wounds.

Peshawar SSP Mian Saeed told journalists at the scene of the attack that the bomber had rammed his motorcycle laden with explosives into Mr Tariq’s vehicle.

AIG Shafqat Malik, the chief of the bomb disposal unit, confirmed that it was a suicide attack and said body parts of the bomber had been found. He said the explosives used in the attack weighed about 8kg.

In a statement released to media outlets, TTP spokesman Mohammad Khurasani said a special group of his terrorist organisation had carried out the attack. Such attacks would continue, he added.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2015

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