The death toll from a devastating suicide bombing at a packed mosque at the Police Lines compound in Peshawar has risen to 72 after rescue workers pulled nine more bodies from the mosque’s rubble early Tuesday morning.
Police claim that at 1 PM, there was an explosion in the mosque’s main hall, which resulted in the roof of the building collapsing onto those who were praying the Zuhr.
Security personnel claims that the suicide bomber blew himself up while watching the Zuhr prayer from the front row. According to police, the mosque’s imam, Sahibzada Noor Ul Amin, also lost his life in the explosion.
The attack was claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a criminal organization.
Ejaz Khan, the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) for Peshawar, stated to the media that it was still too early to make any statements because numerous police officers were buried beneath the debris.
Our current attention is on the rescue effort. The mosque has an explosive odor, though we cannot confirm this with certainty, the CCPO said. He also mentioned that the Peshawar Police, Frontier Reserve Police, Elite Force, and Telecommunications Department headquarters are all close to the blast site.
