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In Pakistan's Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the death toll has increased to 25, while around 150 people have been injured as a result of the explosion at the Police Lines mosque on Monday.
As a result of the blast, the injured have been shifted to the nearest hospital, Lady Reading. The hospital administration appealed to the citizens to donate blood.
Mohammad Asim, the spokesperson of Lady Reading Hospital, has confirmed that the death toll in this blast has reached 25 so far.
According to the hospital spokesperson, 'more than 150 injured people were brought to the hospital, some of them are seriously injured and some of them are slightly injured.'
In this suicide attack, the main hall of the mosque of Police Lines was targeted, which has a capacity of 80 to 100 people.
The Associated Press quoted police officers as saying that at least 150 were attending prayers when the explosion occurred, although other sources put the number at about 260 people.
No claim of responsibility
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion. The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan or TTP, has claimed similar attacks in the past. The radical group has waged an insurgency in Pakistan for the past 15 years.
The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, are a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in August 2021 when US and NATO troops were in the final stages of its withdrawal. of the country after 20 years of war.
The TTP has led an insurgency in Pakistan for the past 15 years, fighting for stricter enforcement of Islamic laws, the release of members from government custody and a reduction in military presence in former tribal areas.
Pakistan PM condemned attack
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying "severe measures" will be taken against those behind it. He ordered the authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the victims.
Police said rescue teams were working on the scene amid expectations that more victims were buried under the rubble when the two-story building collapsed in the powerful explosion.
Former prime minister Imran Khan called the incident a “terrorist suicide attack” in a Twitter post. “My prayers & condolences go to victims families,” said Khan. “It is imperative we improve our intelligence gathering & properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism.”
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