PESHAWAR:The number of fatalities in the Pakistan suicide bombing case near Peshawar mosque on Monday stood close to 100 said police. As per media reports, nearly 90 people succumbed to the blast and more than 150 were injured as the rescue ops continued.
The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has taken responsibility for the attack which took place inside the mosque in the high-security Police Lines area on Monday. The bomber who was present in the front row blew himself up, causing the roof to collapse on the worshippers, officials said.
According to security officials, the explosion took place at 1 pm on Monday afternoon in the central hall of the mosque. Sahibzada Noor Ul Amin, the Imam of the mosque, was also killed in the blast, police said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker CM Muhammed Azam Khan announced a day of morning in the province after the attack. The national flag was also half-past in the province.
On Monday, Muhammad Ijaz Khan, a capital city police officer of Peshawar in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told reporters that around 300 people were praying in the mosque of the Police Lines area of the city when the blast happened.
Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack, expressed deep grief over the martyrdom of the worshippers, and termed the attacker as the enemy of humanity.