A suicide blast inside a Shia mosque in Peshawar left 30 people dead and more than 80 injured on Friday.
At least 80 people have been injured, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister Kamran Bangash.
KP government spokesman Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif said at least 30 people had been killed in the explosion, which he said was a suicide bombing. He added that two terrorists were involved in the attack.
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Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Mohammad Ijaz Khan said one police official was martyred while Asim Khan, media manager of Lady Reading Hospital, said 30 bodies had been brought to the hospital so far.
The CCPO said that according to initial reports, two attackers tried to enter a mosque in the city’s Qissa Khwani Bazaar and fired at the policemen standing guard.
As a result, one policeman was martyred while another was critically injured, the CCPO said, adding that one of the attackers was killed in the gunfight. The remaining attacker then ran inside the mosque and detonated a bomb, he said.
Police official Waheed Khan told AP that the explosion occurred as worshippers had collected in the Kocha Risaldar mosque for Friday prayers.
Later, talking to media at the blast site, Peshawar SSP Operations Haroon Rasheed Khan said the explosion was a suicide blast and that two policemen had been martyred in the attack.
He said there were two attackers but only one of them was a suicide bomber. The SSP also told the media there was no “threat alert”.
He said it was premature to say anything about the explosives used in the attack. “Initial investigations are underway and we can share more information later,” he added.
Talking to media later in the day, Barrister Saif said security was provided to mosques as a “general rule”. He added that the administration had adopted security measures at this mosque as well, adding that such measures were always ensured during congregation prayers on Fridays.
“Those martyred and injured in the attack would be given monetary assistance under the government’s special package,” he said.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
A witness Shayan Haider had been preparing to enter the mosque when a powerful explosion threw him to the street.
“I opened my eyes and there was dust and bodies everywhere,” he said.
Evidence has been collected from the site, according to a tweet by the Peshawar CCPO account.
Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly condemned the attack and directed provision of immediate medical treatment to the injured, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
President Dr Arif Alvi condemned the incident in a statement and expressed grief over the precious lives lost. He expressed sympathy with the families of the departed and also prayed for the recovery of the injured.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid also condemned the attack, saying he had directed the provincial chief secretary and inspector general of police to submit a report.
He expressed grief over the lives lost in the incident.