At least 63 people were killed and more than 150 injured when a Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up during afternoon prayers at a packed mosque in the high-security area of Peshawar in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday. More others were injured.
Most of the dead are army and police personnel.
At around 1.40 pm, a suicide bomber sitting in the front row blew himself up near the Police Lines area when the worshipers were offering Zohar (afternoon) prayers.
According to him, after the explosion, the roof of the mosque fell on the worshippers. According to him, among the worshipers were police, army and bomb disposal squad personnel.
300 to 400 people were present in the mosque
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Peshawar Mohammad Ejaz Khan said that 63 people were killed in the blast. He said that 300 to 400 police officers were present in the area at the time of the explosion. He told the media that it was clear that there was a lapse in security. At least five sub-inspectors and the imam of the mosque, Maulana Sahibzada Noorul Amin, were among the dead. Officials at the Lady Reading Hospital said more than 150 people were injured.
A police official said a portion of the mosque collapsed in the blast and several people were believed to be trapped under its debris. In-charge of the rescue operation, Bilal Faizi said that at present our focus is on the rescue operation. Our first priority is to rescue people trapped under the debris.
The attacker was already present in the police line
He expressed apprehension that the bomber might have been living in the Police Lines before the blast as there are family quarters inside the Police Lines. The headquarters of Peshawar Police, Counter-Terrorism Department, Frontier Reserve Police, Elite Force and Communications Department are also near the blast site.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir reached Peshawar to review relief and rescue operations. The Prime Minister also visited Lady Reading Hospital here along with the Army Chief and inquired about the health of the injured. Home Minister Rana Sanaullah and other officials were also present during this period. The Prime Minister called an emergency meeting where the preliminary inquiry report was presented.
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