The death toll from a suicide bombing at a mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar rose to 100 on Tuesday. This is one of the deadliest terror attacks in Pakistan in recent years.
More than 200 were injured in a bomb blast apparently targeting policemen offering prayers.
The blast took place around 13:30 during afternoon prayers. Peshawar police chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan told local media that the capacity of the main hall of the mosque was about 300 and it was almost at the time of the explosion.
A part of the mosque collapsed as a result of the explosion and many people were reported to be trapped under the rubble as rescuers continued to search for victims till late at night.
A video circulating on social media showed that half of a wall caved in. The mosque was covered in bricks and debris as people clambered over the rubble to escape.
Emerging details suggested that the suicide bomber was in the front row of the congregational prayers inside the mosque and had blown himself up right after the prayer started. However, Khan did not confirm that it was a suicide attack.
“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 inside a highly fortified area, which includes provincial police headquarters, and intelligence bureau and a counterterrorism department.
A rescue operation is underway inside the mosque and “more bodies are being taken out,” Peshawar city Deputy Commissioner Shafiullah Khan said. “Currently our priority is to save people buried under the debris,” the deputy commissioner added.
By Monday evening, senior police and government officials attended the funeral prayers of 30 police officers, and arrangements to bury the rest were being made.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif said terrorists were trying to create fear “by targeting those who perform the duty of defending Pakistan”.
In a statement, PM Sharif said those behind the attack “have nothing to do with Islam”, adding that “The entire nation is standing united against the menace of terrorism.” He assured that the coalition government will take strict action against those involved.
Pakistan’s President Dr Arif Alvi strongly condemned the suicide bomb attack on a mosque in Peshawar. He expressed sorrow for the worshippers who were martyred and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called the bombing a “terrorist suicide attack.” He tweeted: “It is imperative we improve our intelligence gathering & properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism.”
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but it has been linked to the militant group TTP. However, in late night development, the militant group denied attacking the mosque. The group ended a ceasefire in November 2022, and there has been a series of violence since then. In December, the group targeted a police station in the Bannu district in the northwest of the country – resulting in the deaths of 33 militants.