MARDAN Five militants, three suspected suicide bombers among them, were killed in a botched attack on a paramilitary training centre here on Tuesday morning.

According to an ISPR press release, three militants wearing suicide jackets entered the firing range of the Punjab Regiment Centre at about 5am. They were covered by four armed men who had sneaked into nearby buildings.

The three attackers were spotted by guards and two of them blew themselves up. The third was killed by the guards.

The militants covering them opened fire on the guards and two of them were killed in the ensuing exchange of fire and the two others escaped. Five soldiers suffered minor injuries.

The ISPR said that troops were looking for the two missing attackers.

SP (investigation) Gulzar Khan told Dawn that three militants armed with automatic weapons had entered the training range by jumping over the boundary wall when soldiers were carrying out a routine exercise.

Police said security personnel had found the national identity card of one of the militants.

He was from Thall in Parachinar district. Police collected body parts of the attackers and sent them for DNA test.

The injured army personnel were identified as Naiks Sikandar, Qadeer and Rafeeq and soldiers Asif Shehzad and Saleem Maseeh. They were taken to the CMH in Mardan.