Peshawar Mosque Blast: The death toll in one of the deadliest suicide bombings in Pakistan’s Peshawar rose to 100 on Tuesday. According to a report in the Pakistani English daily, Dawn, more bodies were recovered after rescue workers removed the debris from the site of the attack.
Significantly, on Monday, terrorists blew up a crowded mosque inside the highly secured police compound in Peshawar city, resulting in the death of at least 59 security personnel.
Dawn quoted Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Mohammad Asim as saying, “At least 100 bodies were brought to the medical facility, 53 injured civilians are currently being treated, including seven in the intensive care unit.” (Admitted to ICU). In a statement released on Tuesday.
According to the spokesman, most of the injured are out of danger. Initially, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, but later distanced itself from the fatal blast.
How did the attacker reach the mosque?
At present, the counter-terrorism police are investigating how the attacker reached the mosque. Notably, the compound is located in a heavily guarded district of Peshawar that includes other government buildings. “Yes, it was a security lapse,” said Ghulam Ali, the provincial governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the capital of Peshawar.
Akhtar Ali Shah, a former regional interior secretary who once lived in Peshawar, said, “It was not a spur-of-the-moment attack.” “It was the handiwork of a well-organized group,” he told the Associated Press news agency. He said those behind the attack may have had help from inside to gain access to the compound and may have entered it multiple times for reconnaissance or to plant the explosives ahead of time.
“This is not a security breach, this is a security breach,” he said. “From all entry points, you have to go through several layers of security” with ID checks.
(with inputs from agencies)
Also read: Imran Khan expressed grief over the blast in Peshawar mosque