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Pakistan
AsiaSouth Asia

Pakistan suicide bomber kills at least 83, injures 150, during prayers; most victims were police

  • The attacker struck in the city of Peshawar, where hundreds of people were praying or heading to mosque in a fortified compound which includes a police HQ
  • Many of those injured are said to be in critical condition; a commander for Pakistani Taliban said the group was responsible for the attack

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Men move an injured victim after a suicide blast in a mosque in Peshawar on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Associated Press

A suicide bombing during noon prayers at a crowded mosque in Pakistan’s Peshawar killed at least 83 people on Monday, the latest attack targeting police in this northwestern city where Islamist militants remain active.

Officials said more than 150 people were wounded, with many of them in critical condition.

“Many policemen are buried under the rubble,” said Peshawar police chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan, who estimated between 300 and 400 officers usually attend prayers at the mosque.

Bloodied survivors emerged limping from the debris, while bodies were ferried away in ambulances as the rescue operation continued.

Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commander for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter. He said it was to avenge the killing of Abdul Wali, widely known as Omar Khalid Khurasani, who was killed in neighbouring Afghanistan’s Paktika province in August 2022.
Workers carry empty coffins for bodies of the victims of Monday’s suicide bombing in Peshawar. Photo: AP
Workers carry empty coffins for bodies of the victims of Monday’s suicide bombing in Peshawar. Photo: AP

Most of the casualties on Monday were police officers – the mosque is located within a sprawling compound which includes the headquarters of the provincial police force and a counterterrorism department.

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