Pakistan mosque bomber was disguised as a policeman, official says - CNN

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN  — 

The termination bomber who targeted a mosque wrong a constabulary compound successful Peshawar, sidesplitting much than 80 people, was a subordinate of the Pakistani Taliban disguised arsenic a policeman, a elder authoritative said Thursday.

CCTV footage shows the suspected bomber arriving astatine a constabulary checkpoint connected a scooter Monday, asking a constable the absorption to the mosque, and being fto done since helium was successful uniform, said Moazzam Jah Ansari, constabulary main of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

“This was a termination bomber and we person traced his movement. He was successful a constabulary uniform,” Ansari said.

“We are closing successful connected the network. Every beingness of our martyrs volition beryllium avenged,” helium added.

Officials had antecedently enactment the decease toll astatine much than 100, but immoderate of the bodies were counted twice, Ansari said. The blast besides injured 217.

The improvement comes 1 time aft constabulary successful Peshawar arrested respective suspects.

Police judge 12 kilograms (26.5 pounds) of explosives were utilized by the bomber.

Video footage showed the destroyed walls of the mosque, its solid windows and paneling destroyed by the almighty explosion.

Emergency workers searched for survivors, but authorities said astir of those recovered nether the rubble were already dead.

The blast Monday highlights the deteriorating information concern successful Peshawar, superior of the restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa state that borders Afghanistan, and the tract of predominant attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, known arsenic Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP).

The TTP has sent retired conflicting messages astir whether it was down the attack.

TTP officials Sarbakaf Mohmand and Omar Mukaram Khurasani antecedently said the blast was “revenge” for the decease of TTP militant Khalid Khorasani past year.

But the TTP’s main spokesperson, Muhammad Khorasani, aboriginal denied the radical was involved.

The onslaught comes during a rocky play for Pakistan, which is besides struggling with a outgo of surviving situation and a faltering system made worse by devastating floods past year.