{"id":13608,"date":"2023-01-31T00:47:20","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T22:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=13608"},"modified":"2023-01-31T21:30:09","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T19:30:09","slug":"suicide-bombing-at-pakistan-mosque-kills-at-least-100-injures-200","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/suicide-bombing-at-pakistan-mosque-kills-at-least-100-injures-200\/","title":{"rendered":"Suicide bombing at Pakistan Mosque kills at least 100, injures 200"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A suicide bomber struck a crowded mosque in Pakistan\u2019s northwestern city of Peshawar on January 30, 2023. At least 100 people have been reported dead and 200 others were reported injured as the roof of the mosque collapsed in the powerful explosion.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country\u2019s worst attack in months took place at a mosque located inside a highly secure compound that includes the headquarters of the provincial police force and the headquarters of the counterterrorism department. The attack occurred in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the casualties were police officers. The mosque is within Peshawar\u2019s Police Lines, a part of the city\u2019s compound which houses a number of important government buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media reports suggested that the bomber was standing in the first row of worshippers. Authorities said that the suicide attack severely damaged the building. The powerful blast collapsed the ceiling on the worshippers leading to a high number of casualties as several people were trapped under the rubble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly after the explosion Omar Mukaram Khurasani, the current head of the Jamat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), a splinter group of the banned militant organization Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. Later, TTP distanced itself from the bombing. In recent months, TTP has stepped up attacks in Pakistan since withdrawing from a peace deal with the government last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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People and rescue workers gather to look for survivors under a collapsed roof, after a suicide blast in a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan January 30, 2023. (Image Credit: Reuters\/Fayaz Aziz)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Peshawar\u2019s Police Chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan said in a statement that the main hall of the mosque had a capacity for more than 300 people and it was \u201cnearly full\u201d at the time of the explosion. Meena Gul, a 38-year-old police officer, who was inside the mosque when the bomb went off, said he doesn\u2019t know how he survived unhurt. He said heard cries and screams soon after the blast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Superintendent of Peshawar Police Shazad Kaukab told reported the blast occurred when he had just entered the mosque to offer prayers. He said he luckily survived the attack. The bomber entered the highly secured mosque inside police lines where four layers of security were in place to enter the mosque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior police and government officials attended the funerals of 30 police officers whose coffins were wrapped in the Pakistani flag and arrangements were being made to bury the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Funeral prayers for policemen offered at the police lines in #Peshawar<\/a> after the deadly suicide bombing today. pic.twitter.com\/XcQnGeZQ8G<\/a><\/p>— Iftikhar Firdous (@IftikharFirdous) January 30, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>