As a result of the explosion, which caused the mosque’s roof to collapse, numerous people remain in serious condition, prompting police to fear that the death toll could grow.
A suicide bomber hit a mosque in Pakistan, killing at least 34 individuals and injuring 150 more.
The suicide bomber detonated his suicide vest as a large number of worshippers, including numerous police officers from surrounding police stations, were praying inside the mosque.
According to local police officer Zafar Khan, the explosion caused the mosque’s roof to collapse, wounding hundreds.
“A part of the structure has collapsed, and it is thought that numerous individuals are trapped underneath it,” he continued.
Local police reported that no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Peshawar, the capital of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that borders Afghanistan.
Mohammad Asim, a spokesperson for the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, stated that the facility was treating 90 injured patients, some of whom were in serious condition.
Mr. Asim stated that up to fifteen people are in serious condition, as police expected the death toll would climb.
Local media shared a photograph of individuals gathered around the mosque’s collapsed wall.
Meena Gul, a 38-year-old police officer, was inside the mosque at the time of the explosion, and he does not know how he escaped unharmed.
He reported hearing shouts and screams when the bomb detonated, adding that more than 150 attendees were inside the mosque at the time.
In a statement, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif denounced the bombing and ordered that the wounded receive the best possible medical care.
In addition, he promised “firm measures” against the criminals.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan termed the bombing a “suicide bombing by terrorists.”
“My sympathies and condolences are with the victims’ families,” the former prime minister tweeted.
To tackle the growing threat of terrorism, we must improve our intelligence gathering and equip our police forces with the right resources.
After claiming responsibility for similar bombs in the past, the Pakistani Taliban are typically suspected of carrying out such assaults in Pakistan.
The Pakistani Taliban, commonly known as TTP or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, are a distinct group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO soldiers were completing their 20-year pullout.
In Pakistan, the group has waged an insurgency for the past 15 years, fighting for tougher enforcement of Islamic law, the release of its members held by the government, and a reduction in Pakistani military presence in the country’s former tribal territories.
