The Islamic Emirate Foreign Ministry condemned Monday’s attack on worshipers in a mosque in Peshawar, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying it is in “contradiction to the teaching of Islam.”
A uicide bombing that struck inside a mosque at a police and government compound in northwest Pakistan reflects “security lapses,” current and former officials said as the death toll from the devastating blast climbed to 100 on Tuesday.
The blast, which ripped through a Sunni mosque inside a major police facility in the city of Peshawar, was one of the deadliest attacks on Pakistani security forces in recent years. It left as many as 225 wounded, some still in serious condition in hospital, according to Kashif Aftab Abbasi, a senior officer in Peshawar.
The rise in terrorist attacks worries the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
“I fear this is just the beginning of another wave of terrorism. We have seen many attacks in Peshawar, they mostly target law enforcement and police,” said a resident of Peshawar.
“This is not the first time this kind of bombing has happened. From 2006 to now, we have had enough of terrorism and thousands of people have lost their lives. We ask the world for help, we yearn for tranquility, we are all human and we are longing for peace here,” said another resident of Peshawar.
More than 300 worshippers were praying in the mosque, with more approaching, when the bomber set off his explosives vest on Monday morning, officials told Associated Press.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, condemned this attack and says that such attacks violate the freedom of religion and worship.
“It is particularly abhorrent that such an attack occurred at a place of worship. Freedom of religion, freedom of belief, and the ability to worship in peace is a fundamental human right,” Dujarric told a press conference.
According to Pakistani police, 376 armed attacks were carried out in Pakistan last year, resulting in 533 deaths and 832 injuries. —Tolo News
