A suicide bombing in a mosque during afternoon prayers in Peshawar, Pakistan left 47 dead and 150 injured, mostly policemen. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter. The bombing happened in the high-security Police Lines area at 1:40 pm, when police, army, and bomb disposal personnel were praying. The bomber detonated himself in the front row. Lady Reading Hospital reported 46 fatalities, but the Peshawar Police list shows 38 victims.
The majority of casualties in the suicide bombing were police and security officials. The attacker was reportedly seeking revenge for the killing of TTP Commander Umar Khalid Khurasani’s brother, who died in August in Afghanistan. The TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has a history of conducting suicide attacks against security personnel.
PM Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir rushed to Peshawar to assess relief and rescue efforts. They also visited Lady Reading Hospital to check on the injured and were joined by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and other officials. The Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that the PM called for an emergency meeting via a tweet.
“Relevant institutions have been instructed to attend a meeting to examine the reasons for the terrorist attack,” she stated. The meeting will present the initial investigation report. SP (Investigation) Shazad Kaukab of Peshawar, located near the mosque, told media he entered to pray just before the blast. He was fortunate to survive.
A police official stated that a section of the mosque had collapsed, trapping people beneath. The head of the rescue operation, Bilal Faizi, informed the media that their primary focus is to conduct a safe rescue operation and extract those trapped under the debris.
The location of the bombing, near the headquarters of several departments, included the Peshawar Police, CTD, FRP, Elite Force, and telecommunications. The attacker entered the secure mosque within police lines, despite four layers of security.
Dawn newspaper reported that according to CCPO Peshawar Muhammad Ijaz Khan, some soldiers are trapped under debris and rescuers are working to free them. Khan stated that around 300 to 400 police officers were present during the explosion. He acknowledged that a security failure took place.
Prime Minister Sharif condemned the attack and stated that the perpetrators have no connection with Islam. He added that terrorists aim to instill fear by targeting those who protect Pakistan, but the sacrifices of the victims will not go in vain. Sharif emphasized that the entire nation is united against terrorism and a comprehensive strategy will be implemented to improve the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The federal government will also assist the provinces in enhancing their anti-terrorism capabilities.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari denounced the bombing, calling it “significant” in the lead up to local and general elections. Governor Haji Ghulam Ali of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa condemned the attack and urged citizens to donate blood for the injured, as a “great kindness to the police.”
The injured were taken to Lady Reading Hospital. According to hospital sources, 13 are in critical condition. An emergency has been declared and blood donations are requested. Security has been heightened in major cities, including increased security at entry/exit points and sniper deployment in important locations in Islamabad.
Caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan expressed condemnation for the attack and extended condolences to the families of the victims.
Imran Khan, former PM, condemned the mosque terrorist attack. He offered condolences to the families of the victims and stressed the need to improve intelligence gathering and equip police forces to fight terrorism in a tweet from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
(With inputs from PTI, AlJazeera, Reuters and more)
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