The death toll from a suspected suicide bomb that ripped through a mosque at a police compound in northwestern Pakistan Monday has risen to at least 88, as the Pakistani Taliban gave conflicting claims of responsibility for one of the deadliest attacks in the country in years.
Mohammad Asim Khan, spokesperson from the Lady Reading Hospital in the city of Peshawar, on Tuesday confirmed the fatalities and said about another 50 blast victims were being treated for injuries.
Reports on Monday showed that the explosion appeared to target security operatives as the mosque is within an area also housing a police headquarters area.
According to Dawn, local news site, police officials said the incident was a suicide attack.
CCTV footage released later in the day showed a lone attacker approaching the mosque on foot and brandishing a pistol.
The report added that the attacker opened fire on police personnel deployed outside the main entrance for security before running inside.
He then opened fire on a man who tried to stop him and managed to enter the mosque, where worshippers had gathered for prayers, after which an explosion took place.
Riaz Mehsood, police commissioner, said a rescue operation was ongoing inside the mosque as a number of people were buried under the rubble.
“An emergency has been imposed at hospitals across the city and injured persons are being provided the best medical facilities,” Mehsood said.
Muhammad Khan, a police official, said the roof of the mosque collapsed after the blast.
He added that the main hall of the mosque — which had a capacity of 250 to 300 people — had collapsed but the rest of the building was still intact.
Videos on social media also showed the impact of the blast as parts of the mosque had caved in.
Khan said between 300 to 400 police personnel were present in the area at the time of the blast.
No group has said it carried out the attack, but reports have attributed the incident to the Pakistan Taliban.
Last March, Peshawar was the target of another bombing, which killed dozens in a Shia mosque.
Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan, expressed his condolences, adding that a full investigation into the attack had commenced.
