Staggering Death Toll Reported After Horrific Bombing at Mosque

At Least 20 Dead After Horrific Bombing at Mosque

(LibertySociety.com) – Peshawar city is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northern Pakistan, just east of the Afghanistan border. The area has been a hotbed of terrorist attacks over the years, which have left hundreds dead and even more injured. Most recently, a mosque was the target of a brutal act that, once again, turned deadly.

On January 30, a suicide bomber reportedly entered a house of worship in Peshawar and detonated his vest, killing over 100 people, according to the latest reports. According to the Times of India, there were between 300 and 350 worshipers in the mosque at the time, and the death toll has risen significantly since the blast. At first, no one claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP) — also known as the Pakistan Taliban — soon admitted it was behind the blast.

A man said the suicide bomber was in retaliation for the death of his brother, TTP Commander Omar Khalid Khorasani, who died in Afghanistan in August 2022.

According to Firstpost, the mosque was inside a police headquarters, so most of the worshippers were military members and first responders. The perpetrator evidently made it to the front row before setting off his explosive. A local police officer said the blast brought down the roof, trapping people in the rubble. Emergency workers worked tirelessly to dig out the victims so they could get medical attention at the local hospital.

This wasn’t the first time terrorists hit the area. A suicide bomber blast on another mosque took place in March 2022, killing at least 62 people and injuring nearly 200 others. The Islamic State (IS) took responsibility for that deadly attack. According to News18, the area’s location makes it a target for terrorists.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former Prime Minister Imran Khan insisted authorities need to improve their intelligence techniques to help prevent further tragedies in the area.

Copyright 2023, LibertySociety.com