The former prime minister Imran Khan said better intelligence gathering and security for police forces was needed to “combat the growing threat of terrorism”. After visiting the scene, Sharif said the bombing was “no less than an attack on Pakistan”. “Terrorists want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending Pakistan,” he said in a statement. The Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, called it a “suicide attack” and ordered authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment to the survivors. Meena Gul, a police officer, said he was inside the mosque when the bomb went off and could hear cries and screams after the explosion. “It is apparent that a security lapse occurred,” he told reporters. Khan said between 300 and 400 police officers were in the area when the blast took place and the bomber had breached multiple layers of security to enter the mosque. Khan said several of the wounded were in a critical condition at a hospital and there were fears the death toll would rise. Rescuers at the blast scene scrambled to pull worshippers out from beneath heavy debris from the fallen roof, with at least 20 thought to still be trapped as night fell. It has claimed responsibility for almost a dozen attacks in recent months, mostly targeting military and police in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which borders Afghanistan. The group has recently intensified its militancy after a ceasefire with the government broke down in November. The TTP, which is believed to be close to al-Qaida, has waged an insurgency in Pakistan for the past 15 years, fighting for stricter enforcement of Islamic laws and the release of jailed members, and has been responsible for multiple deadly attacks in the past. His statement did not address the previous claim of responsibility. According to officials, the bomber had been standing in the front row.Ī commander for the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), took responsibility for the attack, claiming it was revenge for a fighter killed in Afghanistan last year.īut hours later, a TTP spokesperson distanced the group from the bombing, saying it was not its policy to target mosques, seminaries and religious places. Witnesses said the blast took place in the main hall just as afternoon prayers were about to begin and worshippers were packed tightly inside. The impact of the explosion collapsed the roof and one wall of the mosque and injured many people, said Zafar Khan, a local police officer.
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