Following a suicide explosion in a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan, that targeted police officers, the dead toll has grown to 100.
There is an ongoing inquiry into how the bomber entered the mosque, which is located in a high-security area.
Numerous more people have been hurt in the incident, one of Pakistan’s deadliest in recent memory.
The militant group then refuted a claim made by the Pakistani Taliban that they were responsible for the bombing and instead blamed a splinter group.
Since they claim to be at war with security forces and not the Pakistani people, the Pakistani Taliban have previously refrained from claiming some attacks on mosques, schools, or markets. However, many Pakistanis do not believe such denials.
Rescuers raced to find worshippers stuck beneath the rubble on Tuesday, pulling nine out alive while also recovering additional bodies. Local authorities said that nobody was still stranded.
The task of safeguarding Pakistan is carried out by individuals who are targeted by terrorists, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He proclaimed a day of national mourning.
Every few minutes, ambulances would enter and exit the compound, as seen by the news agency.
More than 50 people are still injured, some of them seriously.
Over 20 police personnel have been laid to rest in funeral services, their coffins bearing the flag of Pakistan. Security personnel made up the majority of the fatalities.
Irfan Ullah, a police inspector who died in the blast, had a full funeral. He had recently survived an ambush in which some of his coworkers had been killed.
Prayers were protected by armed guards. Some attendees began to sob softly.
Five children and a wife were left behind by Mr. Ullah. His brother Muhammed Zahid spoke about the family’s suffering at the gravesite.
Muhammed explained to our crew, “When we initially heard that there had been a blast, we started to phone him. “The fact that the phone was ringing originally gave us optimism. However, the police informed us that he had been killed when we inquired about him. He was the fourth body I noticed.”
“He was kind and helpful, and he had a good heart. He was also fearless and never showed any fear. He consistently responded, “No, it’s my duty,” when we urged him to exercise caution. The loss is enormous for our family.”
According to earlier statements made to local media by Peshawar Police Chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan, there had been 300 to 400 police officers present at the time.
The mosque is located in a neighbourhood that is one of the most strictly policed in the city, along with police headquarters and offices for intelligence and counterterrorism. On Tuesday, local reporters gathered as closely as security would permit along the road outside the gates.
According to Mr. Sharif, the perpetrators of the attack had “nothing to do with Islam.” “The entire country is standing united against the scourge of terrorism,” he continued.
In November, the Pakistani Taliban broke a cease-fire, and since then, the level of violence in the nation has increased. Although distinct from the Taliban in Afghanistan, it adheres to the same hard-line Islamist philosophy.
Since the Taliban signed a peace agreement with the US and then took over in Afghanistan in 2021, militant activity has increased in Pakistan.
Since the truce was broken, there have been several attacks against Pakistani police and security forces. According to sources, 33 militants were killed when the Pakistani Taliban attacked a police station in December in Peshawar, which is in the northwest and borders Afghanistan.
Around 13:30 (08:30 GMT) on Monday, a mosque explosion occurred during afternoon prayers.
The mosque was buried with bricks and debris as people climbed over the wreckage to flee, and an entire wall of the edifice collapsed.
The attack was denounced by UN Secretary General António Guterres, who was quoted as saying: “It is particularly heinous that such an attack occurred at a place of worship.”
The mosque incident happened at the beginning of a crucial week for Pakistani diplomacy.
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, was scheduled to go to Islamabad on Monday, but the trip was abruptly postponed owing to inclement weather.
An IMF group is scheduled to visit Pakistan on Tuesday as part of the process to unlock a bailout loan to stop the nation from defaulting.
Another attack that targeted Peshawar in March of last year resulted in dozens of deaths in a Shia Muslim mosque in the country with a preponderance of Sunni Muslims.
Police in the nation’s capital, Islamabad, issued a high alert and said that security had been stepped up at all points of entry and exit.
