PESHAWAR, Feb 18: Four security personnel and two civilians were killed and 14 others injured when two militants wearing suicide jackets opened indiscriminate fire before blowing themselves up at the offices of Khyber agency’s political agent in the cantonment area on Monday.

Assistant Political Agent Khalid Mumtaz Kundi was among the injured and was taken to the Combined Military Hospital. The other injured were taken to Lady Reading and Khyber Teaching hospitals.

Peshawar SSP (operations) Imran Shahid said the attackers clad in Levies uniform entered the offices after killing security guards and injuring five others at the main gate.

He said one attacker blew himself up after he was shot at during an exchange of fire with security personnel. The blast destroyed control room, waiting room and veranda. He said the APA appeared to be the target.

“Representatives of different political parties and tribal elders were holding a meeting with APA Attaur Rehman in the conference hall to discuss the code of ethics for the next general election in Fata when the incident took place,” Iqbal Afridi, a leader of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf in Fata told Dawn.

He said the participants ran for safety when the militants struck, adding the attack was so abrupt that people got confused and could not understand what to do.

Bomb Disposal Unit in-charge AIG Shafqat Malik told reporters that each bomber carried eight kilograms of explosives in their jackets. Body parts of the attackers had been collected, he added.

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