There has been an explosion in the mosque of Police Line area in Peshawar, Pakistan. A large number of people had gathered here to offer Namaz. According to the police, a large part of the wall has collapsed in the blast.
Peshawar: A Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque packed with worshippers during afternoon prayers on Monday in the high-security zone in Peshawar, Pakistan. The death toll from the suicide blast that ripped through a mosque on Monday afternoon in Pakistan’s northwest provincial capital of Peshawar rose to 63. The injured have been admitted to the nearest hospital. The blast took place in the mosque when a large number of people had gathered to offer prayers. There is a possibility of increasing the number of dead. A portion of the building has collapsed and several people are feared trapped under it, said police officer Sikandar Khan.
The powerful blast occurred inside the mosque in the Police Lines area around 1.40 pm when worshippers, which included personnel of the police, army and bomb disposal squad – were offering the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers.
The bomber who was present in the front row blew himself up, causing the roof to collapse on the worshippers, officials said.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Muhammad Ijaz Khan said 61 people have been killed in the blast.
He said that 300 to 400 police officials were present in the area at the time of the blast. “It is apparent that a security lapse occurred,” he told the media. At least five sub-inspectors and the mosque’s prayer leader Maulana Sahibzada Noorul Amin were among the dead. Lady Reading Hospital officials said more than 150 people were injured.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, saying it was part of a revenge attack for killed TTP commander Umar Khalid Khurasani who was killed in Afghanistan in August last.
A police official said that a portion of the mosque collapsed and several people were believed to be under it.
“We are currently focused on the rescue operation. Our first priority is to safely retrieve the people buried under the debris,” in-charge Rescue operation Bilal Faizi said.
The bomber entered the highly secured mosque inside police lines where four layers of security were in place.
Provincial Police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari said they are investigating the blast and how the bomber entered the highly fortified mosque.
He expressed the apprehensions that the bomber might have been residing in the police lines before the blast as there are family quarters too inside the police lines.
The headquarters of the Peshawar Police, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Frontier Reserve Police (FRP), Elite Force and telecommunications department are also located near the blast site.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief General Asim Munir dashed to Peshawar to review the relief and rescue operation.
The premier along with the army chief also visited the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar and inquired after the health of the injured. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and other officials were also present.
The Prime Minister summoned an emergency meeting where the preliminary probe report was presented.
The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. It is a breakaway group but also a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO troops left Afghan soil after 20 years. The TTP has waged an insurgency in Pakistan for the past 15 years, fighting for the imposition of Islamic laws in the country. Apart from this, it is demanding the release of its members who are in custody.
