Umamah Bakharia | ub@radioislam.co.za

2 min read
30 January 2023 | 20:30 CAT

Dozens have been killed in a suicide bomb attack targeting a mosque in a security compound in the northwestern city of Peshawar, Pakistan.

Picture: Evening Standard

According to a policeman who survived the attack, the explosion took place seconds after the prayers started at a mosque located inside a highly fortified compound. This includes the headquarters of the provincial police force and a counterterrorism department.

Authorities say part of the building collapsed during the blast as they fear that many people are still trapped under the rubble.

Spokesperson for the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, Muhammed Asim told Al Jazeera that at least 59 people were killed and 157 others were wounded in the blast.

Peshawar’s Police Chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan said in a televised statement that the capacity of the main hall of the mosque was nearly 300 and it was “nearly full” at the time of the explosion.

Meanwhile, commander for the Pakistan Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban, or TTP), Sarbakaf Mohmand claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has in a statement condemned the bombing describing it as a “attack on Pakistan”. He has promised “stern action” against those behind the attack.