In a suicide bombing in a mosque in Pakistan, at least 25 people were killed and 120 were injured.
The suicide bomber detonated his suicide vest as approximately 150 worshipers, including a large number of police officers from nearby police offices, were worshipping inside the mosque in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan.
According to local police officer Zafar Khan, the impact of the explosion caused the mosque’s roof to collapse, resulting in numerous injuries.
According to Saddique Khan, a top police official in Peshawar who provided the latest casualty counts, no one immediately claimed credit for the bombing. However, in the past, the Pakistani Taliban have been responsible for similar suicide bombings.
Meena Gul, a 38-year-old police officer, was reportedly inside the mosque when the bomb detonated.
He stated that he has no idea how he escaped unharmed. Gul stated that he could hear cries and screams when the device detonated.
According to authorities, rescuers tried to clear debris from the mosque’s grounds and reach worshippers still trapped beneath the rubble.
Khan reported that a number of the injured were in serious condition at a hospital, and there were fears that the death toll would climb.
ذرائع کے مطابق دھماکہ کے وقت مسجد کے اندر سو سے زائد نمازی موجود تھے۔ زخمیوں کو ہسپتال منتقل کیا جا رہا ہے۔ ہنگامی خدمات سیکورٹی ایجنسیوں کے ساتھ کام کر رہی ہیں تاکہ تمام زخمیوں کو فوری طبی امداد فراہم کی جا سکے۔ #Peshawarblast picture: G8X56oDVTY on Twitter
January 30, 2023 — PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial)
In a statement, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif denounced the bombing and demanded that the wounded receive the best possible medical care.
In addition, he promised “stern action” against anyone responsible for the attack.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan also criticized the bombing, calling it a “suicide bombing by terrorists” in an online tweet.
The former prime minister stated, “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families.”
To tackle the growing threat of terrorism, it is vital that we improve our intelligence gathering and equip our police forces with the right resources.
Peshawar, the capital of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that borders Afghanistan, has been the target of numerous militant strikes.
The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, are a distinct group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO soldiers were in the last stages of a 20-year retreat.
Over the past 15 years, the TTP has waged an insurgency in Pakistan, fighting for stronger enforcement of Islamic law, the release of their members held in government custody, and a reduction in Pakistani military presence in the country’s former tribal territories.
»Pakistani mosque suicide bombing kills 25 and injures 120«