ISLAMABAD: At least 56 worshipers have been killed and over 100 wounded, some of them critically, in a suicide bomb attack during Friday prayers at a mosque in Qissa Khwani bazaar in the Kocha Risaldar area of Peshawar on Friday, police and rescuers said.
Just after the attack, the rescue teams rushed the injured to the Lady Reading Hospital, while residents and people of the neighbourhood also helped in transporting the injured on their motorcycles and cars.
Police and security teams have been cordoning off the area and collecting evidence. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s advisor Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif in a statement to media said that the explosion took place during Friday prayers. He said, reportedly the terrorists first tried to enter the mosque where they exchanged fire with the police. He said a terrorist managed to enter the mosque and carried out the attack.
According to reports quoting Peshawar Central City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Aijaz s two terrorists tried to enter the mosque and opened fire at the on-duty cops. Peshawar SSP Operations Haroon-ur- Rasheed also said that the explosion seemed to be a suicide attack. He said both the on-duty cops were martyred by the terrorist’s fire.
According to eyewitnesses, the suicide bomber blew himself up in front of pulpit. They said a person entered the mosque, shot and killed the security guard first and then fired five to six bullets. Later, he quickly entered the mosque’s main hall and blew himself up in front of the worshippers.
When the attacker blew himself up at 12:55 pm, the ground floor hall and top floor halls of the mosque were packed to their capacity. Reacting to the blast, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said that there was no threat alert issued for the attack. He termed the attack “a bid to destabilize Pakistan under a planned conspiracy.” He said some foreign forces are trying to ruin the peace in Pakistan.
Taking to the Twitter, he condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the families of the deceased and injured. He said that he has sought a report from the KP police chief. Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the deadly attack on the mosque and ordered efforts to provide immediate medical aid for the wounded. The Prime Minister also sought a report on the blast from the authorities concerned.