A suicide bomber has struck a crowded mosque inside a police compound in Pakistan, causing the roof to collapse; killing at least 47 people and wounding more than 150 others.
Most of the casualties were police officers. It was not clear how the bomber was able to slip into the walled compound, which houses the police headquarters in the northwestern city of Peshawar and is itself located in a high-security zone with other government buildings.
Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commander for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter. The main spokesman for the militant group was not immediately available for comment.
Mohmand said a fighter carried out the attack to avenge the killing of Abdul Wali, who was widely known as Omar Khalid Khurasani, and was killed in neighboring Afghanistan’s Paktika province in August 2022.
Pakistan, which is mostly Sunni Muslim, has seen an increase in militant attacks since November, when the Pakistani Taliban ended their cease-fire with government forces. Monday’s assault on a Sunni mosque was one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in recent years.
The militant group, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, is separate from but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban.
The TTP has waged an insurgency in Pakistan in the past 15 years, seeking stricter enforcement of Islamic laws, the release of its members in government custody and a reduction in the Pakistani military presence in areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that it has long used as its base.
More than 300 worshippers were praying in the mosque, with more approaching, when the bomber set off his explosives vest.
According to a police officer named Zafar Khan, many were injured when the roof came down and rescuers had to remove mounds of debris to reach worshippers still trapped under the rubble.
Meena Gul, who was in the mosque when the bomb went off, said he doesn’t know how he survived unhurt. The 38-year-old police officer said he heard cries and screams after the blast.
Police official, Siddique Khan said the death toll had risen to at least 47, while more than 150 people were wounded. He added that the bomber blew himself up while among the worshippers.
A nearby hospital listed many of the wounded in critical condition, raising fears the death toll could rise.
Senior police and government officials attended the funerals of 30 police officers and arrangements to bury the rest were being made. Coffins were wrapped in the Pakistani flag and their bodies were later handed over to relatives for burials.
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the Pakistani Taliban have a strong presence, and the city has been the scene of frequent militant attacks.
Prime Minister Vows Stern Action Against Those Behind Bombing
Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif has condemned the bombing, vowed “stern action” against those behind it, and ordered authorities to give the best possible medical treatment for the victims.
Sharif traveled to Peshawar and visited the wounded. His office disclosed that he would receive a briefing about the security situation in the northwest.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry revealed in a statement that it was “saddened to learn that numerous people lost their lives and many others were injured by an explosion at a mosque in Peshawar” and condemned attacks on worshippers as contrary to the teachings of Islam.
Condemnations also came from the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad, as well as the U.S. Embassy, adding that “The United States stands with Pakistan in condemning all forms of terrorism.”
Former Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan called the bombing a “terrorist suicide attack.” He tweeted, “My prayers & condolences go to victims’ families. It is imperative we improve our intelligence gathering & properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism.”
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