Scores dead, dozens injured in Pakistan mosque suicide attack - VIDEO - ednews.net

Scores dead, dozens injured in Pakistan mosque suicide attack - VIDEO

The bomber carried out the attack during afternoon prayers when the mosque was packed with worshipers and most of the victims were reportedly police officers from a nearby station.

31.01.2023 10:00 World A- A A+

A suicide bomber struck a crowded mosque inside a police compound in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least 80 people and wounding more than 150 others.

Overnight, at least nine bodies were recovered as rescuers sifted through the rubble of the mosque's collapsed wall and roof.

Muhammad Asim Khan, a spokesman for the main hospital in Peshawar, told AFP news agency that 83 people had been killed, with the death toll rising as more bodies arrived from the scene.

"This morning we are going to remove the last part of the collapsed roof so we can recover more bodies, but we are not hopeful of reaching any survivors," Bilal Ahmad Faizi, a spokesperson for the rescue organisation 1122, said.

Many of the injured were taken to the Lady Reading Hospital after a bomber detonated his suicide vest on Monday as worshipers, including many policemen, were praying inside the mosque.

Peshawar police chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan, who estimated between 300 and 400 officers usually attended prayers at the mosque, had earlier said many policemen were "buried under the rubble."

'Black smoke'

Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commander for the Pakistani Taliban, initially claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter. However, the main spokesman for Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) later denied the militant group was responsible for the bombing.

At least 20 of the slain police officers were later buried after a prayer ceremony, with coffins lined up in rows and draped in the Pakistan flag.

The impact of the explosion collapsed the roof of the mosque, which caved in and injured many, Zafar Khan, a Peshawar police officer, told AP news agency.

Shahid Ali, a policeman who survived, said the explosion took place seconds after the imam started prayers.

"I saw black smoke rising to the sky. I ran out to save my life," the 47-year-old told AFP.

Provinces around the country announced they were on high alert after the blast, with checkpoints ramped up and extra security forces deployed, while in the capital Islamabad, snipers were deployed on buildings and at city entrance points.

"Terrorists want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending Pakistan," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement.

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