The blast occurred inside the mosque in the Police Lines area around 1.40 pm when worshippers, which included personnel of the police, army and bomb disposal squad – were offering the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers.
A Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque packed with worshippers during afternoon prayers on Monday in the high-security zone in Pakistan’s restive northwestern Peshawar city, killing 46 people and wounding nearly 150 others, mostly policemen, officials said.
Officials said blast occurred inside the mosque in the Police Lines area around 1.40 pm when worshippers, which included personnel of the police, army and bomb disposal squad – were offering the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers. The bomber who was present in the front row blew himself up.
Lady Reading Hospital officials said 46 people have died so far. However, the Peshawar Police has released a list of 38 victims. There were mostly policemen and security officials among the dead and injured.
A brother of the slain commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Umar Khalid Khurasani claimed that the suicide blast was part of the revenge attack for his brother who was killed last August in Afghanistan.
The outlawed TTP, known as the Pakistani Taliban, has carried out a number of suicide attacks in the past, targeting security personnel. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief General Asim Munir dashed to Peshawar to review the relief and rescue operation.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and other officials were also present. The premier along with the army chief also visited the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar and inquired after the health of the injured.
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted that the premier summoned an emergency meeting. She said that “all relevant institutions have been directed to attend the meeting” which will “look into the motives behind the terrorist attack”. The preliminary probe report would be presented in the meeting.
Superintendent of Police (Investigation), Peshawar, Shazad Kaukab, whose office is close to the mosque, told the media that the blast occurred when he just entered the mosque to offer prayers. He said he luckily survived the attack.