Screengrab of rescue workers transporting injured to hospital in Peshawar
At least 50 people killed, over 190 others injured in assault that occurred during Friday prayers
At least 56 people were killed and over 190 others injured after two terrorists targeted a mosque in the Qissa Khwani bazaar of Peshawar during Friday prayers, according to hospital officials.
A spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa capital said that it had, thus far, received 56 bodies and 195 injured. They said that several of the injured were in critical condition. Earlier, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Higher Education Minister Kamran Bangash, in a posting on Twitter, had confirmed that at least 80 injured had been shifted to hospital thus far.
Addressing media outside the mosque, Capital City Police Officer Ijaz Ahsan said that one police official, who had been tasked with security of the imambargah, had been martyred in the explosion. He said that initial reports suggested that two attackers had attempted to enter the mosque and opened fire on the policemen standing guard when they tried to bar their entry. One of the cops was martyred during the shooting, he said, adding that the other was in critical condition.
Shortly after the shooting, said the CCPO, one of the attackers entered the mosque and detonated a suicide jacket. He said police and security forces had cordoned off the area and were collecting evidence, including CCTV footage, to determine the exact nature of the blast and identify its culprits.
There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing. In a statement, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed claimed it was part of a “conspiracy” against Pakistan, adding that there had been no prior security threat. In a separate posting on Twitter, he said he had directed the provincial chief secretary and inspector general of police to submit a report into the bombing.
In a statement, Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the deadly attack and ordered local administration to ensure immediate medical aid for the wounded. He also sought a report on the bombing from the authorities concerned.
Separately, Peshawar Chief Minister Mahmood Khan also condemned the blast and sought a report from the Peshawar inspector-general of police. He directed members of his provincial cabinet to personally monitor the rescue operations to ensure the injured received the best care.