Pakistan’s Peshawar Mosque Attack: 56 Killed, 90+ Injured

By Staff, Agencies

A suicide bomber struck Monday inside a mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least 56 people and wounding as many as 96 worshippers, officials said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, said Saddique Khan, a senior police official in Peshawar who gave the latest casualty tolls.

However, according to the Al-Jazeera reporter, the Pakistani Taliban claimed in a tweet its responsibility for the attack.

The bomber detonated his suicide vest as some 150 worshipers – including many policemen from nearby police offices – were praying inside. Security officials have said that the suicide attacker was present in the front row during the prayers when he exploded himself.

The impact of the explosion collapsed the roof of the mosque, which caved in and injured many, according to Zafar Khan, a local police officer.

Mohammad Asim, a spokesman for the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, said they had received 90 injured, some of them in critical condition.

A survivor, 38-year-old police officer Meena Gul, said he was inside the mosque when the bomb went off. He said he doesn’t know how he survived unhurt. He could hear cries and screams after the bomb exploded, Gul said.

Rescuers scrambled trying to remove mounds of debris from the mosque grounds and get to worshippers still trapped under the rubble, police said. Khan said several of the wounded were listed in critical condition at a hospital and there were fears the death toll would rise.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a statement condemned the bombing, and ordered authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment to the victims. He also vowed “stern action” against those who were behind the attack.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan also condemned the bombing, calling it a “terrorist suicide attack” in a Twitter posting. “My prayers & condolences go to victims families,” said the ex-premier. “It is imperative we improve our intelligence gathering & properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism.”

Peshawar is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan and has been the scene of frequent militant attacks.