Attack on a mosque in northern Pakistan. At least 20 people died
The attack took place at a time when many faithful gathered in the middle of the temple for prayer, including policemen from nearby police stations. According to one survivor interviewed by the Associated Press, more than 150 people were praying in the mosque at the time of the attack.
Some of the injured are in a serious condition, Muhammad Asim Khan, spokesman for Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, told AFP, adding that the number of dead could rise. Rescue operations are underway.
Meena Gul, a 38-year-old police officer who survived the attack, reported being inside the mosque when the bomb went off. He added that he did not know how he managed to survive unscathed. He heard screams and screams after the bomb went off
So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. In the past, the Pakistani Taliban were responsible for similar attacks.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack in a statement and ordered authorities to provide the victims with the best possible medical care. He also vowed “harsh action” against those behind the attack.
Peshawar is the capital of the province of Khyber Pashtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, and has been the site of frequent attacks by militants.
The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, is a separate group but also a close ally of the Afghan Taliban who took power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO troops were in the final stages of withdrawing from the country after 20 years of war.
The TTP has led an insurgency in Pakistan for the past 15 years, fighting for stricter enforcement of Islamic law in the country, the release of its members held in government custody, and the reduction of Pakistan’s military presence in the country’s former tribal regions.
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