Pakistan Mosque Bombing Toll Crosses 90, Many Critical — Here’s What We Know So Far

New Delhi: The death toll in the suicide bombing case of Peshawar, Northwest Pakistan, has crossed 90 while many were left injured, Reuters quoted a hospital spokesperson as saying. It was later learned that this incident of a suicide bomber detonating himself in a packed and well-guarded mosque was the latest in a series of attacks on police.

A high-intensity explosion took place at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines area on Monday afternoon during the Zuhr prayers. Peshawar Commissioner Riaz Mehsood confirmed the casualties, according to Dawn.com.

Here’s everything from the incident we know so far-

• In the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar, a suicide bomber was seated inside a mosque in the front row. He detonated himself at about 1:40 pm when others were doing the “Zuhur” prayer. Many people were trapped in the rubble after the mosque’s portion collapsed due to the blast.
• More than 300 worshipers were praying in the mosque when the bomber set off his explosives vest. Reportedly, rescue operations are still going on.
• Ijaz Khan, the chief of police in Peshawar, was quoted by Reuters as stating that the mosque was situated inside a compound that also included the provincial police force’s headquarters and a counterterrorism department. Grave concerns have been raised following the bomber’s success in breaching such a high-security location.
• According to PTI, a brother of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Umar Khalid Khurasani stated that the suicide attack was carried out in retaliation for his brother’s death in Afghanistan in August.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UNSC condemned the attack, with a UN spokesperson saying that countries must ensure that their territories are not used for terror activities. Strongly condemning the suicide bombing on Monday that killed at least 90 people and injured over 100 others, Guterres said in a statement that it is particularly abhorrent that the attack occurred at a place of worship.
• Condemning the attack, Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi tweeted, “I strongly condemn the heinous & cowardly blast that has taken place in Peshawar mosque. The perpetrators will be found and punished. Condolences to families who have lost an innocent member & prayers for injured. Terrorism must be buried forever.”
• Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif said the attackers who were behind the incident “have nothing to do with Islam”, reported PTI. “Terrorists want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending Pakistan. The entire nation is standing united against the menace of terrorism,” he added.
• He further added that a comprehensive strategy would be adopted in order to improve the law-and-order situation in restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the attack and said, “terrorist incidents before the local and general elections were meaningful”.
• Terrorist acts prior to municipal and national elections, according to foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, were significant.
• Haji Ghulam Ali, the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, slammed the blast and asked people to donate blood to the injured, stating that doing so would be a “huge favor for the police.”
• Former PM Imran Khan said there was a need to improve intelligence gathering.
• The blast occurred the day before an IMF delegation is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad for talks on a stalled $7 billion bailout.