Peshawar, Jan 30: A Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque packed with worshippers during afternoon prayers on Monday in the high-security zone in Pakistan’s northwestern Peshawar city, killing at least 46 people and wounding more than 100 others, mostly policemen, security and health officials said.
The blast occurred inside the mosque in the Police Lines area around 1.40 pm when worshippers, which included personnel of the police, army and bomb disposal squad – were offering the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers. The bomber who was present in the front row blew himself up, officials said.
Lady Reading Hospital officials said 46 people have died so far. However, the Peshawar Police has released a list of 38 victims.
There were mostly policemen among the injured.
A brother of the slain commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Umar Khalid Khurasani claimed that the suicide attack was part of the revenge attack for his brother who was killed last August in Afghanistan.
The outlawed TTP, known as the Pakistani Taliban, has carried out a number of suicide attacks in the past, targeting security personnel.
Superintendent of Police (Investigation), Peshawar, Shazad Kaukab, whose office is close to the mosque, told the media that the blast occurred when he just entered the mosque to offer prayers. He said he luckily survived the attack.
A police official said that a portion of the mosque collapsed and several people were believed to be under it.
The bomber entered the highly secured mosque inside police lines where four layers of security were in place to enter the mosque.
