Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Jan 30: An explosion at a mosque in Pakistan’s northern city of Peshawar killed at least 46 people, including an imam, and injured 150 others on Monday. Local media reported the explosion was caused by a suspected suicide attack.
The deadly blast took place during afternoon prayers at around 1:40 pm near the Police Lines area in the provincial capital of Peshawar, close to former tribal areas that border Afghanistan where militancy has been steadily rising. Several people have been admitted to the hospital in a critical condition and the death toll from the attack is expected to rise.
A frantic rescue mission was underway at the mosque, which had an entire wall and some of its roof blown out by the force of the blast.
“Many policemen are buried under the rubble,” said Peshawar police chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan, who estimated between 300 and 400 officers usually attended prayers at the mosque.
“Efforts are being made to get them out safely,” he said.
Bloodied survivors emerged limping from the wreckage, while bodies were ferried away in ambulances as the rescue operation continued.
“It’s an emergency situation,” Muhammad Asim Khan, a spokesman for the main hospital in Peshawar told AFP,
#BreakingNews #UPDATE The blast in the mosque of Peshawar police line, the number of martyrs has increased to 25. #Peshawar #Peshawarblast #Pakistan #Peshawarunderattack #Peshawarblast #PakistanBlast pic.twitter.com/eiMiC5sNaG
— Harish Deshmukh (@DeshmukhHarish9) January 30, 2023
Geo News reports stated a ‘suicide attacker’ blew himself up inside the mosque during prayers. The suicide attacker was present in the front row during the prayers when he exploded himself, news agency PTI quoted security officials as saying.
Those injured were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, the officials said. Hospital sources said 13 of those injured were in a critical condition. As the death toll and the number of injured rises, the Peshawar Governor has appealed to the residents to donate blood, as per Dunya News.
An emergency has been imposed in the locality and the area has been cordoned off. “An emergency has been imposed at hospitals across the city and injured persons are being provided the best medical facilities,” Peshawar Commissioner Riaz Mehsood was quoted as saying by Dawn.
Meanwhile, following the blast in Peshwar, Islamabad Police issued directions for a “security high-alert” and said security at all entry and exit points to the city has been increased.
Shahid Ali, a policeman who survived, said the explosion took place seconds after the imam started prayers.
“I saw black smoke rising to the sky. I ran out to save my life,” the 47-year-old told AFP.
“The screams of the people are still echoing in my mind,” he added. “People were screaming for help.”
The drastic security breach came on the day United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had been due to visit Islamabad, although the trip was cancelled at the last minute due to bad weather.
Pakistan is also preparing to host an International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation on Tuesday as it works towards unlocking a vital bailout loan to prevent a looming default.
On the other hand, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the blast. Shehbaz Sharif said that the attackers responsible for the blast inside the mosque “have nothing to do with Islam”.
“Terrorists want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending Pakistan,” the Pakistan PM added.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan called for improving intelligence gathering to “combat the growing threat of terrorism”.
