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PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A termination bombing that struck wrong a mosque astatine a constabulary and authorities compound successful northwest Pakistan reflects “security lapses,” existent and erstwhile officials said arsenic the decease toll from the devastating blast climbed to 100 connected Tuesday.
The blast, which ripped done a Sunni mosque wrong a large constabulary installation successful the metropolis of Peshawar, was 1 of the deadliest attacks connected Pakistani information forces successful caller years. It near arsenic galore arsenic 225 wounded, immoderate inactive successful superior information successful hospital, according to Kashif Aftab Abbasi, a elder serviceman successful Peshawar.
More than 300 worshippers were praying successful the mosque, with much approaching, erstwhile the bomber acceptable disconnected his explosives vest connected Monday morning, officials said.
The detonation blew disconnected portion of the roof, and what was near soon caved in, injuring galore more, according to Zafar Khan, a constabulary officer. Rescuers had to region mounds of debris to scope worshippers inactive trapped nether the rubble.
More bodies were retrieved overnight and aboriginal Tuesday, according to Mohammad Asim, a authorities infirmary spokesperson successful Peshawar, and respective of those critically injured died. “Most of them were policemen,” Asim said of the victims.
Bilal Faizi, the main rescue official, said rescue teams were inactive moving Tuesday astatine the tract arsenic much radical are believed trapped inside. Mourners were burying the unfortunate astatine antithetic graveyards successful the metropolis and elsewhere.
Counter-terrorism constabulary are investigating however the bomber was capable to scope the mosque, which is successful a walled compound, wrong a precocious information portion with different authorities buildings.
“Yes, it was a information lapse,” said Ghulam Ali, the provincial politician successful the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is the capital.
Abbasi, the authoritative who gave the latest casualty tolls, concurred. “There was a information lapse and the inspector-general of the constabulary has acceptable up an enquiry committee, which volition look into each aspects of the bombing,” helium said. “Action volition beryllium taken against those whose negligence” caused the attack.
Talat Masood, a retired service wide and elder information expert said Monday’s termination bombing showed “negligence.”
“When we cognize that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is active, and erstwhile we cognize that they person threatened to transportation retired attacks, determination should person been much information astatine the constabulary compound successful Peshawar,” helium told The Associated Press connected Tuesday, referring to a militant radical besides known arsenic the Pakistani Taliban oregon TTP.
Kamran Bangash, a provincial secretary-general with absorption enactment Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf called for an probe and said Pakistan volition proceed to look governmental instability truthful agelong arsenic the existent authorities is successful power.
“The existent authorities of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has failed to amended the system and instrumentality and bid situation, and it should resign to pave the mode for drawback parliamentary elections,” helium said.
The military’s media helping declined an Associated Press interrogation petition for the main of service staff. Asim Munir, who took bureau successful November, has yet to bash immoderate media appearances.
Sharif visited a infirmary successful Peshawar aft the bombing and vowed “stern action” against those down the attack. “The sheer standard of the quality calamity is unimaginable. This is nary little than an onslaught connected Pakistan,” helium tweeted.
On Tuesday helium dismissed disapproval of his authorities and telephone for unity.
“Through their despicable actions, terrorists privation to dispersed fearfulness & paranoia among the masses & reverse our hard-earned gains against coercion & militancy,” helium tweeted. “My connection to each governmental forces is 1 of unity against anti-Pakistan elements. We tin combat our governmental fights later.”
Authorities person not determined who was down the bombing. Shortly aft the explosion, TTP commandant Sarbakaf Mohmand claimed work for the onslaught successful a station connected Twitter.
But hours later, TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khurasani distanced the radical from the bombing, saying it was not its argumentation to people mosques, seminaries and spiritual places, adding that those taking portion successful specified acts could look punitive enactment nether TTP’s policy. His connection did not code wherefore a TTP commandant had claimed work for the bombing.
Pakistan, which is mostly Sunni Muslim, has seen a surge successful militant attacks since November, erstwhile the Pakistani Taliban ended a cease-fire with authorities forces, arsenic the state was contending with unprecedented floods that killed 1,739 people, destroyed much than 2 cardinal homes, and astatine 1 constituent submerged arsenic overmuch arsenic a 3rd of the country.
The Pakistani Taliban are the ascendant militant radical successful Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and Peshawar has been the country of predominant attacks. But the Islamic State successful Khorasan Province, a determination affiliation of the Islamic State radical and a rival of the Taliban, has besides been down deadly attacks successful Pakistan successful caller years. Overall, unit has accrued since the Afghan Taliban seized powerfulness successful neighboring Afghanistan successful August 2021, arsenic U.S. and NATO troops pulled retired of the state aft 20 years of war.
The TTP is abstracted from but a adjacent state of the Afghan Taliban. It has waged an insurgency successful Pakistan successful the past 15 years, seeking stricter enforcement of Islamic laws, the merchandise of its members successful authorities custody and a simplification successful the Pakistani subject beingness successful areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa state it has agelong utilized arsenic its base.
Earlier this month, the Pakistani Taliban claimed 1 of its members changeable and killed 2 quality officers, including the manager of the counterterrorism helping of the country’s military-based spy bureau Inter-Services Intelligence. Security officials said Monday the gunman was traced and killed successful a shootout successful the northwest, adjacent the Afghan border. In 2014, a Pakistani Taliban faction attacked an army-run schoolhouse successful Peshawar and killed 154, mostly schoolchildren.
The Taliban-run Afghan Foreign Ministry said it was “saddened to larn that galore radical mislaid their lives” successful Peshawar and condemned attacks connected worshippers arsenic contrary to the teachings of Islam.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is connected a sojourn to the Middle East, tweeted his condolences, saying the bombing successful Peshawar was a “horrific attack.”
“Terrorism for immoderate crushed astatine immoderate spot is indefensible,” helium said.
Pakistan is besides contending with governmental and economic crises successful the aftermath of the floods and a disputed election.
Condemnations besides came from the Saudi Embassy successful Islamabad, arsenic good arsenic the U.S. Embassy, which said that the “United States stands with Pakistan successful condemning each forms of terrorism.”
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the bombing “particularly abhorrent” for targeting a spot of worship, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan besides expressed his condolences, calling the bombing a “terrorist termination attack.”
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Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed successful Islamabad contributed to this report.
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