Suicide bomber kills 47, wounds over 150 at Pakistan mosque

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber struck a crowded mosque at a police compound in Pakistan on Monday, collapsing the roof and killing at least 47 people and injuring more than 150 others, officials said.

Most of the victims were police officers. It was not clear how the bomber managed to penetrate the walled compound housing the police headquarters in the northwestern city of Peshawar, itself in a high-security zone with other government buildings.

Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commander of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter. The militant group’s main spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Pakistan, which is largely Sunni Muslim, has seen a surge in militant attacks since November, when the Pakistani Taliban ended their truce with government forces. The attack on a Sunni mosque on Monday was one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in years.

The militant group, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, is separate from the Afghan Taliban but a close Afghan Taliban ally. The TTP has led an insurgency in Pakistan for the past 15 years to seek stricter enforcement of Islamic law, the release of its members from government custody, and a reduction in the Pakistani military presence in areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which it has long used as a base .

More than 300 worshipers were praying inside the mosque and more were approaching when the gunman detonated his explosive vest. According to Zafar Khan, a police officer, many were injured when the roof collapsed and rescuers had to clear piles of rubble to reach worshipers still trapped under the rubble.

Meena Gul, who was at the mosque when the bomb went off, said he didn’t know how he survived unharmed. The 38-year-old police officer said he heard screams and screams after the blast.

Police officer Siddique Khan said the death toll rose to at least 47, while more than 150 people were injured. He said the bomber blew itself up among the faithful.

A nearby hospital listed many of the wounded in critical condition, stoking fears the death toll could be rising.

Senior police and government officials attended the funerals of 30 police officers and arrangements were made for the rest to be buried. Coffins were wrapped in the Pakistani flag, and their bodies were later given to relatives for burial.

Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the Pakistani Taliban have a strong presence, and the city has frequently been the scene of militant attacks.

The Afghan Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO troops withdrew from the country after 20 years of war.

The Pakistani government’s ceasefire with the TTP ended as the country was still grappling with unprecedented flooding that killed 1,739 people, destroyed more than 2 million homes and at one point flooded a third of the country.

Mohmand of the militant organization said a militant carried out the attack to avenge the assassination of Abdul Wali, widely known as Omar Khalid Khurasani, who was killed in August 2022 in neighboring Afghan province of Paktika.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the bombing, promised “tight action” against those behind it and ordered the authorities to provide the victims with the best possible medical treatment.

Sharif traveled to Peshawar and visited the wounded. His office said he would receive a briefing on the security situation in the northwest.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan called the bombing a “terrorist suicide attack”. He tweeted: “My prayers and condolences go out to the families of the victims. It is imperative that we improve our intelligence and properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism. ”

Cash-strapped Pakistan is facing a severe economic crisis and is seeking a crucial $1.1 billion installment from the International Monetary Fund – part of its $6 billion bailout package – to avoid a default. Talks with the IMF about reviving the rescue package have stalled in recent months.

Sharif’s government came to power in April after Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament. Khan has since campaigned for a snap election, claiming his ouster was illegal and part of a US-backed conspiracy. Washington and Sharif reject Khan’s claims.

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Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Riaz Khan, The Associated Press