The Washington Inquirer EditorAt least 37 people have been killed and about 150 wounded in an attack witnesses said was a suicide bombing inside a mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar.
Eyewitnesses told RFE/RL that suicide bombers standing in the first row behind the imam detonated explosive vests as worshippers, including many policemen and other officials, had gathered for afternoon prayers at the Police Line Mosque on January 30.
Dozens of the wounded were transferred to nearby hospitals, a police officer said. Several of them were in critical condition, the officer said, raising fears that the death toll might rise further. One hospital official said 10 to 15 people were in critical condition.
AP quoted a Twitter account by Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commander for the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), that claimed responsibility for the attack. The party itself has not commented on the attack.
The radical group has waged an insurgency in Pakistan over the past 15 years.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the bombing and said “stern action” will be taken against those who were behind it. He ordered authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment to the victims.
RFE/RL correspondents in the area said the mosque has been frequented by police officers and officials from the provincial government whose offices are located in the same area.
Police said rescue crews were working at the scene amid expectations that there are more casualties buried beneath the rubble as the two-story building collapsed following the powerful blast.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan also condemned the bombing, calling it a “terrorist suicide attack.”
“It is imperative we improve our intelligence gathering [and] properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism,” Khan tweeted.
Peshawar is the capital of the volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, which borders Afghanistan.
