Peshawar Blast: There have been principally policemen among the many injured.
Peshawar:
A Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque full of worshippers throughout afternoon prayers on Monday within the high-security zone in Pakistan’s restive northwestern Peshawar metropolis, killing 46 folks and wounding almost 150 others, principally policemen, officers stated.
The blast occurred contained in the mosque within the Police Strains space round 1.40 pm when worshippers, which included personnel of the police, military and bomb disposal squad – have been providing the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers. The bomber who was current within the entrance row blew himself up, officers stated.
Woman Studying Hospital officers stated 46 folks have died up to now. Nevertheless, the Peshawar Police has launched an inventory of 38 victims.
There have been principally policemen and safety officers among the many useless and injured.
A brother of the slain commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Umar Khalid Khurasani claimed that the suicide blast was a part of the revenge assault for his brother who was killed final August in Afghanistan.
The outlawed TTP, often called the Pakistani Taliban, has carried out a variety of suicide assaults previously, concentrating on safety personnel.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Military chief Common Asim Munir dashed to Peshawar to evaluate the aid and rescue operation.
The premier together with the military chief additionally visited the Woman Studying Hospital in Peshawar and inquired after the well being of the injured. Inside Minister Rana Sanaullah and different officers have been additionally current.
Info Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted that the premier summoned an emergency assembly.
She stated that “all related establishments have been directed to attend the assembly” which can “look into the motives behind the terrorist assault”. The preliminary probe report can be introduced within the assembly.
Superintendent of Police (Investigation), Peshawar, Shazad Kaukab, whose workplace is near the mosque, informed the media that the blast occurred when he simply entered the mosque to supply prayers. He stated he fortunately survived the assault.
A police official stated {that a} portion of the mosque collapsed and several other folks have been believed to be underneath it.
“We’re presently targeted on the rescue operation. Our first precedence is to securely retrieve the folks buried underneath the particles,” in-charge Rescue operation Bilal Faizi informed the media.
The headquarters of the Peshawar Police, Counter-Terrorism Division (CTD), Frontier Reserve Police (FRP), Elite Pressure and telecommunications division are additionally situated close to the blast website.
The bomber entered the extremely secured mosque inside police traces the place 4 layers of safety have been in place.
Quoting Capital Metropolis Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Muhammad Ijaz Khan, Daybreak newspaper stated that a variety of jawans are nonetheless caught underneath the rubble and rescuers try to tug them out.
Khan stated between 300 to 400 police officers have been current within the space on the time of the blast. “It’s obvious {that a} safety lapse occurred,” he informed the media.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sharif strongly condemned the assault, saying the attackers behind the incident “don’t have anything to do with Islam”.
“Terrorists wish to create worry by concentrating on those that carry out the responsibility of defending Pakistan,” he stated and vowed that the sacrifices of the blast victims won’t go in useless. “All the nation is standing united towards the menace of terrorism.” He additionally stated {that a} complete technique will likely be adopted to counter the deteriorating regulation and order scenario in restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the federal authorities will assist provinces in growing their anti-terrorism capability.
Overseas Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari additionally condemned the assault, saying “terrorist incidents earlier than the native and basic elections have been significant”.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali condemned the blast and urged the folks to donate blood for the injured, saying that it might be a “enormous favour for the police”.
The injured have been shifted to the Woman Studying Hospital, officers stated.
Hospital sources stated 13 of these injured have been in a essential situation.
An emergency has been declared within the hospitals of Peshawar. The hospital has appealed residents to donate blood for the victims.
Safety has been beefed up in different main cities, together with Islamabad, after the Peshawar blast. In Islamabad, safety in any respect entry and exit factors of the capital metropolis has been elevated and snipers have been deployed at “essential factors and buildings”.
Caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan condemned the assault and provided condolences to the bereaved households.
Former prime minister Imran Khan strongly condemned the terrorist assault within the mosque.
“My prayers and condolences go to victims’ households. It’s crucial we enhance our intelligence gathering & correctly equip our police forces to fight the rising risk of terrorism,” the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf tweeted.
Final yr, an identical assault inside a Shia mosque within the Kocha Risaldar space within the metropolis killed 63 folks.
The TTP, arrange as an umbrella group of a number of militant outfits in 2007, referred to as off a ceasefire with the federal authorities and ordered its militants to stage terrorist assaults throughout the nation.
The group, which is believed to be near al-Qaeda, has been blamed for a number of lethal assaults throughout Pakistan, together with an assault on military headquarters in 2009, assaults on navy bases, and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Lodge in Islamabad.
In 2014, the Pakistani Taliban stormed the Military Public College (APS) within the northwestern metropolis of Peshawar, killing at the least 150 folks, together with 131 college students. The assault despatched shockwaves internationally and was broadly condemned.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Dalits Defy ‘Ban’ On Temple Entry In Tamil Nadu
