At least 56 killed in suicide attack at mosque in Peshawar | SSP Operations says there was no threat alert about the bomb blast in the provincial capital
Haqnawaz Shinwari
PESHAWAR
At least 56 worshippers have lost their lives, while close to 200 have been injured in a suicide bomb attack during Friday prayers at a mosque in Qissa Khwani bazaar in the Kocha Risaldar area of Peshawar on Friday, police and rescue workers told.
The rescue teams have rushed the injured to Lady Reading Hospital, while residents and people of the neighbourhood also helped in transporting the injured on their motorcycles and cars.
SSP Operations Haroon Rashid told media that attackers shot and killed on two policemen before entering the mosque and blowing himself up. As result one police man died and other also in stable condition at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH).
SSP Operations Peshawar in a statement said that there was no threat alert about the bomb blast in the provincial capital.
Police and security teams have cordoned off the area and started to collect evidence.
Mohammad Asim, spokesman of the Lady Reading Hospital, where victims have were brought, confirmed the death toll and said they had received more than 30 bodies.
He said condition of some of the injured is critical, adding that a large number of doctors and paramedic staff are busy treating the patients. Provision of medicine and availability of medical staff and blood supply has been ensured within the emergency department, Asim maintained.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, and other political leaders condemned the blast.
Following the blast on Friday prayers, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan condemned the blast and sought a comprehensive report from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Mahmood Khan has also instructed the rescue workers and health authorities to speed up the rescue operations and ordered cabinet member to monitor the overall operations.
In a statement to the media, Advisor to KP Chief Minister Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif confirmed that the explosion took place during Friday prayers.
“Reportedly the terrorists first tried to enter the mosque where they exchanged fire with the police,” said Barrister Saif.
He said that a terrorist managed to enter the mosque and carried out the attack.
An eyewitness identified a person dressed in black as the suicide bomber, saying he entered the mosque, shot and killed the security guard first, and then fired five to six bullets.
“After that, he quickly entered the [mosque’s] main hall and blew himself up in front of the pulpit. Following this, there were bodies and injured people lying everywhere,” the eyewitness told.
“The hall was filled with people; they were on the bottom and top floors; the incident took place at 12:55pm,” he said.
He said people took the injured worshipers to the hospital on motorcycles as rescue workers faced hindrances while arriving at the site due to congested alleys.
The man claimed recently a hand grenade attack targeted a house in the area, after which residents had urged the authorities to beef up security. “But still, it did not happen […] the security has been reduced.”
