Dozens Injured, Dead as Blast Hits Mosque in Peshawar
The blast went off as worshipers were gathering to hold prayers.
According to initial reports, the blast injured at least 150 people while claiming 28 lives.
Reports also claim that the bombing was a suicide attack.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Peshawar’s police chief, Muhammad Ijaz Khan, later said in a statement on television that the capacity of the main hall of the mosque was nearly 300 and it was “nearly full” at the time of the explosion.
“We cannot at the moment confirm there was a suicide attacker but we need to conduct more investigations,” he said. “However, there is a possibility of there being a suicide bomber.”
The mosque is situated in Peshawar’s Police Lines, which is part of city’s red zone and has numerous important government installations including the Chief Minister House, Governor House, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly building.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing in a statement, and ordered authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the victims. He promised “stern action” against those behind the attack.
Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, has experienced frequent attacks.
Last March, a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Peshawar, killing 64 in Pakistan’s deadliest terror attack since 2018. The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility for the incident.
The Pakistani Taliban, are known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, are also active in the region and has waged an armed rebellion in the country over the past 15 years.
Since the Taliban surged back to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Islamabad has accused them of failing to secure their mountainous border, allowing fighters to move back and forth to stage attacks and escape capture.
Source: Agencies
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