PESHAWAR: The death toll has risen to 93 while 221 others were injured in a suicide bombing at a crowded mosque in the Police Lines compound in Peshawar, police said on Tuesday.
A suicide bomber blew himself up in the mosque – which is heavily guarded by police – around 1 a.m. during noon prayers on Monday, causing the roof to collapse on worshipers. went
An official said that a rescue operation is underway to remove the bodies from the rubble of the mosque, adding that a search operation is also being carried out.
About 17 bodies have been pulled out of the wreckage and one is injured, the official said.
Day of mourning
KP caretaker chief minister Muhammad Azam Khan has announced a mourning day in the province after this heinous attack.
He said that the national flag will fly at half-mast across the province, adding, “The government is an equal sharer in the grief of the families of the martyrs.”
The caretaker chief minister assured the affected families that the provincial government will not leave them alone after the tragedy.
Preliminary investigation report has been sent to PM, sources said
Sources told JEE News that the preliminary investigation report of the explosion has been sent to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Sources say that the evidence found at the scene indicates that it was a suicide attack.
According to the report, the roof collapsed due to the pillar falling, which caused a lot of damage. A high-level inquiry committee has been set up to look into the security lapses, the sources added.
Sources further said with reference to the report that the CCTV footage of the gate of the police lines and the family quarters is being investigated.
Suspected attacker’s head found: CCPO
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Mohammad Aizaz Khan while talking to JEE News said that the explosion appears to be a suicide attack and the head of the suspected attacker has also been found at the scene.
CCPO Khan said that the nature of the explosion will be known only after the completion of the rescue operation. “It is possible that the attacker was already in the police lines before the blast and used an official vehicle [to get in],” he said.
The city police chief also said that police lines have offices of more than eight departments including Frontier Reserve Police (FRP), Special Security Unit (SSU) and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).
“About 1,500 to 2,000 police personnel visit the police lines daily,” he highlighted.
‘Final decision will be given after investigation’
In an exclusive interaction with JEE News, Inspector General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Moazzam Jah Ansari said that the police lines have more than 2000 policemen working with eight different departments.
He said that a large number of citizens visit the place on a daily basis, adding that there are also family quarters. “Construction work was also being done in the police lines with workers coming and going daily,” he added.
IG Ansari said that the CCTV footage is being reviewed and a final decision will be taken after the investigation. CTD is investigating the attack, he added.
The Inspector General also said that the process of identifying the suicide bomber was on, adding that the mastermind and facilitators would be brought to justice.
