The death toll in the devastating suicide attack at a mosque inside the Peshawar police headquarters rose to 83 on Tuesday morning, with 157 people injured.
Among those killed were several police officers, including DSP Arab Nawaz and five sub-inspectors. The mosque’s prayer leader was also among those killed.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, saying it was in retaliation for the death of TTP commander Umar Khalid Khurasani in Afghanistan in August last year.
A frantic rescue mission continued the whole night at the mosque, which had an entire wall and some of its roof blown out by the suicide hit.
“Many policemen are buried under the rubble,” said Peshawar police chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan, who estimated between 300 and 400 officers usually attended prayers.
The deadly suicide attack inside a highly sensitive police headquarters on Monday prompted the government to put the country on high alert.
The attack happened during Zuhr prayers in Peshawar, close to former tribal areas along the Afghan border.
Bloodied survivors emerged limping from the wreckage, while bodies were ferried away in ambulances. “It’s an emergency situation,” Muhammad Asim Khan, a spokesman for the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, said.
During the night, several men were seen trapped in the wreckage, visible through cracks in the concrete.
“We have given them oxygen so that they don’t have problems in breathing,” said Bilal Ahmad Faizi, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122.
At least 20 of the officers killed were later buried following a prayer ceremony, with coffins lined up in rows and draped in the national flag. According to a police official, they were laid to rest with a guard of honor.
The police headquarters in Peshawar is located in one of the city’s most tightly controlled areas, and it houses intelligence and counter-terrorism bureaus, as well as the regional secretariat.
Countrywide high alert
Provinces around the country announced they were on high alert after the blast, with checkpoints ramped up and extra security forces deployed, while in Islamabad snipers were deployed on buildings and at city entrance points.
“Terrorists want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending Pakistan,” said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a statement.
Officers said the blast came from the second row of worshippers, with investigators probing the possibility of a suicide attack.
Shahid Ali, a policeman who survived, said the explosion took place seconds after the imam started prayers.
“I saw black smoke rising to the sky. I ran out to save my life,” the 47-year-old told AFP. “The screams of the people are still echoing in my mind.”
