PESHAWAR:A suicide attack at a mosque in Kocha Risaldar near Qissa Khwani Bazar during Friday prayer left at least 32 worshipers dead and over 60 injured, including children and elderly persons.
According to police, two suicide bombers targeted the innocent worshipers at Kocha Risaldar’s Jamia Masjid. They first exchanged fire with the policemen deployed for the security of the mosque and then one of them blasted himself up after entering the main hall.
Special Assistant to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif confirmed that it was a suicide attack. The two terrorists first fired at the policemen at the entrance, and then one them managed to enter the mosque to carry out the blast.
A large number of worshippers were present at the mosque, he added.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Aijaz seconded Barrister Saif’s statement, saying two terrorists while trying to enter the mosque, opened fire at the policemen on duty, martyring Constable Jamil Khan and critically injuring Head Constable Farman.
According to the Lady Reading Hospital officials, some of the martyred worshipers brought to hospital, were identified are prayer leader Irshad Khalili son of Ghulam Abbas; Musarat Khan; Asif son of Iqbal, Junior Clerk of Police Department; Akhtar Hussain son of Yaqoob of Counter Terrorism Department; Constable Jamill; Ilyas Hussain son of Yusuf Ali; Syed Akbar son of Manzoor Hussain Shah; Hussain son of Muhammad Qasim; Syed Musarat Hussain; Fahim Abbas; Aqeeq Bangash; Muhammad Ali son of Faqir Hussain; Anas Aghaz son of Mir Agha; Abdul Ali son Ghulam Ali; Riaz Ali Syed son of Mohib Ali; Baz Gul son of Hassan Gul; Raza Ali; Hasanain; Fateh Ali; Mujahid Ali; Mazhar Ali Kiyanil; Ali Agha; Arif Hussain; Musarat Raza; and Altaf Hussain.
The rescue teams and police with the help of local people shifted the injured to the Lady Reading Hospital, where emergency was declared.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, and other political leaders condemned the blast.
Barrister Saif and Minister for Higher Education, Kamran Bangash visited the Lady Reading Hospital to inquire after the injured.They directed the hospital administration to provide best medical treatment to the patients.
Barrister Saif said the government stood by the families of martyrs and injured of the blast in the hour of grief. He said investigation was underway with different angles and the culprits would soon be brought to justice.