Peshawar mosque blast: The death toll in one of the deadliest suicide bomb blast cases in Pakistan's Peshawar climbed to 100 on Tuesday. According to a report by the Pakistani English daily, Dawn, more bodies were recovered after the rescue personnel removed debris from the attack site.
Notably, on Monday, terrorists unleashed an explosion in a crowded mosque inside a highly secured police compound in the city of Peshawar, resulting in the killing of at least 59 security personnel.
"At least 100 dead bodies had been brought to the medical facility, 53 injured citizens were currently being treated seven of whom had been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU)," Dawn quoted Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Mohammad Asim as saying in a statement released on Tuesday.
According to the spokesperson, most of the injured were out of danger. Initially, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack but later distanced itself from the deadly explosion.
How the bomber was able to reach the mosque?
As of now, counter-terrorism police are investigating how the bomber was able to reach the mosque. Notably, the compound is located in a heavy security district of Peshawar that includes other government buildings. “Yes, it was a security lapse,” said Ghulam Ali, the provincial governor in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is the capital.
Akhtar Ali Shah, a former regional interior secretary once based in Peshawar, said it “was not a spur-of-the-moment attack.” “It was the handiwork of a well-organized group,” he told the news agency Associated Press. He said those behind the attack must have had inside help to gain access to the compound and probably entered it several times for reconnaissance or even to plant explosives ahead of time.
“It’s not a security lapse, it’s a security breach,” he said. “From all entry points, there are multiple layers of security you have to cross” with ID checks.
(With inputs from agency)
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