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PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A termination bomber struck a crowded mosque wrong a constabulary compound successful Pakistan connected Monday, causing the extortion to illness and sidesplitting astatine slightest 59 radical and wounding much than 150 others, officials said.
Most of the casualties were constabulary officers. It was not wide however the bomber was capable to gaffe into the walled compound, which houses the constabulary office successful the northwestern metropolis of Peshawar and is itself located successful a high-security portion with different authorities buildings.
Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commandant for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed work for the onslaught connected Twitter. The main spokesperson for the militant radical was not instantly disposable for comment.
“The sheer standard of the quality calamity is unimaginable. This is nary little than an onslaught connected Pakistan,” tweeted Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who visited the wounded successful Peshawar and vowed “stern action” against those down the bombing. He expressed his condolences to families of the victims, saying their symptom ”cannot beryllium described successful words.”
Pakistan, which is mostly Sunni Muslim, has seen a surge successful militant attacks since November, erstwhile the Pakistani Taliban ended their cease-fire with authorities forces.
Earlier this month, successful different onslaught claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, a gunman 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.
Monday’s battle connected a Sunni mosque wrong the constabulary installation was 1 of the deadliest attacks connected information forces successful caller years.
The militant group, besides known arsenic Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan oregon TTP, is abstracted from but a adjacent state of the Afghan Taliban. The TTP 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.
More than 300 worshippers were praying successful the mosque, with much approaching, erstwhile the bomber acceptable disconnected his explosives vest. Many were injured erstwhile the extortion came down, according to Zafar Khan, a constabulary officer, and rescuers had to region mounds of debris to scope worshippers inactive trapped nether the rubble.
Meena Gul, who was successful the mosque erstwhile the weaponry went off, said helium doesn’t cognize however helium survived unhurt. The 38-year-old constabulary serviceman said helium heard cries and screams aft the blast.
Mohammad Asim, a spokesperson astatine the main authorities infirmary successful Peshawar, enactment the decease toll astatine 59, with 157 others wounded. Police authoritative Siddique Khan the bomber blew himself up portion among the worshippers.
Senior constabulary and authorities officials attended the funerals of 30 constabulary officers and arrangements to hide the remainder were being made. Coffins were wrapped successful the Pakistani emblem their bodies were aboriginal handed implicit to relatives for burials.
Peshawar is the superior of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, wherever the Pakistani Taliban person a beardown presence, and the metropolis has been the country of predominant militant attacks.
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 Pakistani government’s truce with the TTP ended arsenic the state was inactive contending with unprecedented flooding that killed 1,739 people, destroyed much than 2 cardinal homes, and astatine 1 constituent submerged arsenic overmuch arsenic a 3rd of the country.
Mohmand, of the militant organization, said a combatant carried retired the onslaught to avenge the sidesplitting of Abdul Wali, who was wide known arsenic Omar Khalid Khurasani, and was killed successful neighboring Afghanistan’s Paktika state successful August 2022.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry said successful a connection that it was “saddened to larn that galore radical mislaid their lives and galore others were injured by an detonation astatine a mosque successful Peshawar” and condemned attacks connected worshippers arsenic contrary to the teachings of Islam.
Condemnations besides came from the Saudi Embassy successful Islamabad, arsenic good arsenic the U.S. Embassy, adding 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.
Cash-strapped Pakistan faces a terrible economical crisis and is seeking a important installment of $1.1 cardinal from the International Monetary Fund — portion of its $6 cardinal bailout bundle — to debar default. Talks with the IMF connected reviving the bailout person stalled successful the past months.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called the bombing a “terrorist termination attack.” He tweeted: “My prayers & condolences spell to victims families. It is imperative we amended our quality gathering & decently equip our constabulary forces to combat the increasing menace of terrorism.”
Sharif’s authorities came to powerfulness successful April aft Khan was ousted successful a no-confidence ballot successful Parliament. Khan has since campaigned for aboriginal elections, claiming his ouster was amerciable and portion of a crippled backed by the United States. Washington and Sharif disregard Khan’s claims.
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Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed successful Islamabad contributed.
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