At Least 58 People Killed In Suicide Bombing At Shi’ite Mosque In Pakistan

According to hospital officials, a suicide bombing at a Shi’ite Muslim mosque during Friday prayers in Peshawar, Pakistan, killed at least 58 people and injured nearly 200 others.

In a statement, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing, making it one of the group’s most significant attacks inside Pakistan.

When police stopped an armed man on a motorcycle near the mosque, he opened fire before forcing his way into a crowded hall and detonating his suicide vest, according to senior police official Haroon Rasheed.
According to him, the attacker opened fire on the police guards stationed at the mosque’s entrance, killing one of them. “The armed man entered the mosque and began shooting at worshippers before blowing himself up,” Rasheed continued.

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Police had previously stated that the motorcycle was being driven by two men.

The attack is one of the deadliest in recent years against Pakistan’s Shia minority, which has long been targeted by Sunni Muslim Islamist militants such as Islamic State and the Pakistani Taliban.

In a message to Reuters, the Pakistani Taliban distanced themselves from the attack.

Officials at the nearby Lady Reading Hospital updated the previous toll, saying that many of the injured were in critical condition.
Sardar Hussain, whose three relatives were killed in the blast, said the mosque was the Shi’ite community’s only place of worship in Peshawar’s old city.

Until the military launched a crackdown on militants in 2014, Islamist insurgent attacks had become almost daily occurrences in Pakistan.

Worshippers had gathered at the mosque in Peshawar for Friday prayers, which are usually the busiest.

“When the firing began, panic spread among the worshippers. At a hospital where he was being treated for his injuries, one man, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters, “I ran to save my life.”

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“All of a sudden, a man entered and began firing… He shot a lot of people before closing his eyes and blowing himself up. “I have no idea what happened after that,” he said.
Pakistan has recently resumed hosting international teams after moving many of their high-profile international events to the United Arab Emirates due to security concerns.

Following the blast, Australian cricket coach Andrew McDonald stated that the team will be accompanied by security experts while touring Pakistan.