In the Pakistani city of Peshawar, the death toll from the explosion in a mosque on Monday rose to at least 32 people, Reuters news agency reports. In addition, more than 150 people were injured. The death toll continues to rise. According to local police, several people are lying under the rubble of the partially collapsed mosque, where afternoon prayers were taking place at the time of the explosion. The cause of the explosion is still unclear.
The mosque is located in a high-security area of the city that also houses the headquarters of the regional police and an anti-terrorism department. A spokesman for the local police said that a suicide attack cannot be ruled out. Last March, a suicide bomber from the Islamic State terror group attacked a Shiite mosque in Peshawar. The attack, which killed 64 people, was the deadliest in Pakistan since 2018.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shebaz Sharif has strongly condemned the possible attack. He also says that “the whole country stands united against the threat of terrorism.”