A suicide bombing killed three Pakistani paramilitary personnel on Monday at the border force headquarters in Peshawar city, police said.

"Three FC [Federal Constabulary] personnel deployed at the gate were martyred and four others were wounded," said Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed, adding one assailant detonated explosives and two other attackers were shot dead by the security forces.

The attackers struck at 8.10am on the premises located on Saddar Road, one of the city's busiest routes, just before rush hour.

"The attack has concluded, and a clearance operation is under way to determine whether any unexploded ordnance is present," said Zulfiqar Hameed, the police chief of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

The province borders Afghanistan and has long been a flashpoint for militant violence, which has intensified since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault, praising the "timely action" of security forces for averting greater loss of life.

"The perpetrators of this incident should be identified as soon as possible and brought to justice," he said.

"We will thwart the evil designs of terrorists who attack Pakistan's integrity." (AFP)