Senior Superintendent of Police of Peshawar Cantt Waqas Rafiq said that a suicide bomber carried out the attack targeting a Frontier Constabulary vehicle patrolling the area.

At least six people sustained injuries in the suicide attack and were moved to the Combined Military Hospital, Peshawar, he said, adding that the police have sealed the areas and started investigations.

However, Rescue 1122 reported eight people to have been injured in the attack.

Shahabuddin of Aaj News said that the suspected suicide bomber was driving a hatchback car, which he rammed into the FC vehicle in front of a restaurant in the Phase-6 area of Hayatabad.

The road and surrounding areas were empty of dwellers at the time of the explosion, which resulted in minimal losses, he added.

The police and rescue worker moved a few injured to Hayatabad Medical Complex, while an emergency was declared in the hospitals across the city.

The administration of the Hayatabad Medical Complex said that two injured were brought to the hospital and are receiving medical treatment. The injured have not sustained life-threatening injuries, they added.

Videos and images circulating on social media showed the charred remains of a small vehicle in the middle of a road. The security forces cordoned off the area after the explosion.

The army said on Friday it was seriously concerned that militants had found safe havens in neighbouring Afghanistan and threatened to take an “effective response” two days after 12 of its soldiers died in two attacks.

A newly founded terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported.

Militants have also been active in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. They have stepped up attacks since revoking a ceasefire agreement with the government in late 2022, including the bombing of a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar that killed more than 100 people earlier this year.