Peshawar: At least 56 persons were killed and around 200 others were injured in a suicide attack at a Shia mosque on Friday in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, local media reported. According to eyewitnesses, the powerful blast took place during the Friday prayers. The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the explosion.
Officials has termed the incident a suicide attack, and had initially said that two attackers were involved. However, CCTV footage released later in the day showed a lone attacker clad in a black shalwar kameez reaching the mosque in the city’s Qissa Khwani Bazaar on foot and brandishing a pistol, the Dawn reported.
Speaking to the media, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari said two police officials were deputed at the mosque for security. He opened fire on police personnel deployed outside the main entrance for security before he ran inside. The attacker also opened fire on a man who tried to stop him and then managed to enter the mosque, where worshippers had gathered for Friday prayers, after which the explosion took place.
The police official said that one constable was martyred, while another police official was in critical condition. The senior police officer said that around five to six kilo grammes of explosive material was used, adding that there were no prior reports about the attack. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Mohammad Ijaz Khan confirmed the chain of events, adding that one police official was martyred in the gunfight outside the mosque.
Post Your Comments