PESHAWAR: Three Fron­tier Constabulary personnel, including a senior officer, were gunned down in a targeted attack here on Wednes­day. The officer, accompanied by his driver and guard, was going to his office when they were attacked.

The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.

A Faqirabad police official identified the officer as Ameer Badhsah, who worked as district officer at the FC headquarters on Sunehri Masjid Road within the jurisdiction of the Peshawar cantonment.

The official said assailants opened fire when the officer’s vehicle came near Patang Chowk on Ring Road, leaving the FC officer, his driver and guard seriously wounded.

He said the wounded were taken to the Lady Reading Hospital where they died.

The official identified the driver as Gul Rasool and the guard as Gul Rehman.

Senior Superintendent of Police (operations) Abbas Majeed Marwat told Dawn that Mr Badshah was going to his office located in the Latif Abad locality of the city.

He said mostly FC officers were deputed from the police department, but Mr Badshah was an FC employee and his rank was equal to that of an SSP.

He said that the assailants on bikes intercepted the FC vehicle at Patang Chowk and opened fire from a distance of about 25 feet.

He said police found 14 empties of 9mm pistol at the crime scene.

SSP Marwat said that apparently it was an incident of targeted killing and the slain officer was the target.

He said police carried out a search operation in the area and took about 17 suspects into custody.

The Counter Terrorism Department has registered an FIR and started an investigation.

Funeral prayers for the slain personnel were offered at the FC headquarters and attended by the FC commandant and senior police officials.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2016