Pakistan: dozens killed in mosque blast in Peshawar

At least 59 people have been killed and more than 150 injured in a suicide bombing carried out by the Pakistan Taliban at a mosque in the city of Peshawar, as the security situation in the country continues to deteriorate.

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. Witnesses said the blast took place in the main hall just as afternoon prayers were about to begin and worshippers were packed tightly inside. According to officials, the bomber had been standing in the front row.

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.

A commander for the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) , claimed responsibility.

But hours later, a TTP spokesperson distanced the group from the bombing, saying it was not its policy to target mosques, seminaries and religious places. His statement did not address the previous claim of responsibility.

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 have been responsible for multiple deadly attacks in the past.

The group have recently intensified their militancy after a ceasefire with the government broke down in November. They have claimed responsibility for almost a dozen attacks in recent months, mostly targeting military and police in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which borders Afghanistan

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. Khan said several of the wounded were in a critical condition at a hospital and there were fears the death toll would rise.

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.

In January, a group of Pakistan Taliban militants attacked a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and in December dozens of TTP detainees overpowered their guards at a counter-terrorism centre in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, took hostages and seized control of the facility for more than 24 hours.

Peshawar, the embattled capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has been the target of frequent militant attacks and suicide bombings, most recently in March 2022 when 56 worshippers were killed in a blast at a Shia mosque in the city, with Islamic State claiming responsibility.