Suicide bomber kills 28, wounds 150 at mosque in NW Pakistan

A termination bomber struck Monday wrong a mosque wrong a constabulary compound successful the northwestern Pakistani metropolis of Peshawar, sidesplitting astatine slightest 28 radical and wounding arsenic galore arsenic 150 worshippers, astir of them policemen, officials said.

The bombing drew nationwide condemnation from absorption governmental parties and authorities officials. Ghulam Ali, the provincial politician successful Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, wherever Peshawar is the capital, said determination were fears the decease toll could emergence adjacent further.

Most of the casualties were policemen and constabulary officers — the targeted mosque is located wrong a sprawling compound, which besides serves arsenic the city's constabulary headquarters. Police betwixt 300 to 350 worshipers were wrong the mosque erstwhile the bomber detonated his explosives.

No 1 instantly claimed work for the bombing, said Saddique Khan, a elder constabulary authoritative successful Peshawar, but the Pakistani Taliban person been blamed successful akin termination attacks successful the past.

The constabulary compound is located successful a high-security portion successful Peshawar, on with respective authorities buildings, and it was unclear however the bomber managed to penetrate truthful heavy wrong the portion unnoticed.

The interaction of the detonation collapsed the extortion of the mosque, which caved successful and injured many, according to Zafar Khan, a section constabulary officer.

A survivor, 38-year-old constabulary serviceman Meena Gul, said helium was wrong the mosque erstwhile the weaponry went off. He said helium doesn't cognize however helium survived unhurt. He could perceive cries and screams aft the weaponry exploded, Gul said.

Rescuers scrambled trying to region mounds of debris from the mosque grounds and get to worshippers inactive trapped nether the rubble, constabulary said. At a adjacent hospital, galore of the wounded were listed successful captious information arsenic the casualty toll rose.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif successful a connection condemned the bombing, and ordered authorities to guarantee the champion imaginable aesculapian attraction to the victims. He besides vowed "stern action" against those who were down the attack.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan besides condemned the bombing, calling it a "terrorist termination attack" successful a Twitter posting. "My prayers & condolences spell to victims families," said the ex-premier. "It is imperative we amended our quality gathering & decently equip our constabulary forces to combat the increasing menace of terrorism."

Peshawar has been the country of predominant militant attacks. The Pakistani Taliban, are known arsenic Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan oregon TTP, and are abstracted radical but besides a adjacent state of the Afghan Taliban, who seized powerfulness successful neighboring Afghanistan successful August 2021 arsenic U.S. and NATO troops were successful the last stages of their pullout from the state aft 20 years of war.

The TTP has waged an insurgency successful Pakistan implicit the past 15 years, warring for stricter enforcement of Islamic laws successful the country, the merchandise of their members who are successful authorities custody and a simplification of the Pakistani subject beingness successful the country's erstwhile tribal regions.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge successful militant attacks since November erstwhile the Pakistani Taliban ended their cease-fire with authorities forces.

The truce ended arsenic Pakistan was inactive contending with past summer's unprecedented flooding that killed 1,739 people, destroyed much than 2 cardinal homes, and astatine 1 constituent submerged arsenic overmuch arsenic 1 3rd of the country. The flood damages totaled to much than $30 cardinal and authorities are now, months later, inactive struggling to put tents, structure and nutrient for the survivors.

Cash-strapped Pakistan is presently besides facing 1 of the worst economical situation and is seeking a important installment of $1.1 cardinal from the International Monetary Fund — portion of its $6 cardinal bailout bundle — to debar default. Talks with the IMF connected reviving the bailout person stalled successful the past months.

Sharif's authorities came to powerfulness past April aft Imran Khan was ousted successful a no-confidence ballot successful Parliament. Khan has since campaigned for aboriginal elections, claiming his ouster was amerciable and portion of a crippled backed by the United States. Washington and Sharif person dismissed Khan's claims.