During crowded prayers on Monday in a mosque inside a police facility in Pakistan, a suicide bomber exploded explosives, causing the roof to collapse. According to officials, at least 34 people were murdered, and 150 were injured.
Police personnel made up the majority of the victims. It is unclear how the bomber managed to enter the walled area, which houses the police department for the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar and is situated beside other high-security governmental structures.
A commander with the Pakistani Taliban named Sarbakaf Mohmand took credit for the attack on Twitter.
The militant group’s principal spokesperson could not be reached for comment immediately.
Since the Pakistani Taliban broke their cease-fire with government forces in November, there has been an increase in militant strikes in Pakistan.
One of the deadliest assaults on security troops in recent memory was this one.
When the attacker detonated his explosives vest, around 300 worshipers prayed inside the mosque, and more were on their way.
According to local police officer Zafar Khan, many people were hurt as the roof collapsed.
To reach worshippers still buried beneath the wreckage, rescuers rushed to clear mountains of debris from the mosque’s grounds, according to the police.
Meena Gul claims he has no idea how he managed to escape the mosque bombing unharmed.
After the bomb detonated, the 38-year-old policeman claimed he could hear cries and screams.
A police official named Siddique Khan reported that Noor-ul-Amin, the leader of the prayers, was among the 34 fatalities. According to him, the assailant detonated himself amid the worshipers.
Ijaz Khan, the head of the Peshawar police, reported at least 150 injuries.
Many of the injured were classified in severe condition at a neighboring hospital, increasing fears that the death toll would climb.
Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is home to the Pakistani Taliban, has witnessed numerous insurgent strikes.
The bombing was denounced by the prime minister, Shahbaz Sharif, who also directed officials to provide the bombing victims with the finest medical care available.
Additionally, he threatened to take “severe punishment” against the perpetrators of the crime.
Sharif visited the injured patients at the hospital while in Peshawar. His office informed him that he would be briefed on the northwest’s security situation.
To avoid default, cash-strapped Pakistan is asking the International Monetary Fund for a vital tranche of $1.1 billion as part of its $6 billion bailout package.
In recent months, negotiations to revive the bailout have stalled with the IMF.
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