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Key Points
- At least 61 people have died in a mosque and more than 150 injured in a police headquarters in Peshawar, Pakistan.
- A surviving police officer said the screams of his fellow colleagues are “echoing” in his mind.
- Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack as the rest of the country is placed on high alert.
Most of those who died were police officers in the provincial city of Peshawar, close to former tribal areas along the Afghan border where militancy has been steadily rising.
People carry the body of their relative, who was a victim in the attack inside a mosque. Source: AAP / Muhammad Sajjad/AP
Shahid Ali was one of the officers in the mosque who survived the attack. He said it took place just seconds after the imam signalled the start of the prayer.
As darkness fell, several men were still trapped in the wreckage, visible through cracks in the concrete.
‘Many policemen are buried under the rubble’
More bodies are being pulled from the debris, with the toll rising to 61 killed with more than 150 wounded so far.
At least 20 of the killed police officers were later buried after a prayer ceremony with coffins lined up in rows and draped in the Pakistani flag.
Security officials gather for funeral prayers of police officers, who were killed in the bombing inside a mosque. Source: AAP / AP
“Terrorists want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending Pakistan,” said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a statement.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which came amid a worsening security situation in the country.
Pakistan on 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 the capital Islamabad snipers were deployed on buildings and at city entrance points.
Security officials inspect the site of a mosque blast inside the police headquarters in Peshawar. Source: Getty / Maaz Ali
The drastic security breach came on the day United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had been due to visit Islamabad, although the trip was cancelled at the last minute due to bad weather.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday condemned the blast as “abhorrent” and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken extended his condolences for the “horrific attack”.
History of violence
Detectives said the bomber was an Afghan exile who had returned home to train for the attack.
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