Deadly Suicide Attack in Peshawar Leaves At Least 59 Dead
On Monday, a deadly suicide bomb attack inside a mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar killed at least 59 people and wounded over 157 others.[0] The attack occurred as around 300 to 350 worshippers were offering their afternoon prayers in the police compound mosque, and the majority of the casualties were policemen and other law enforcement personnel.
The blast was claimed by a Twitter account affiliated with a Pakistani offshoot of the Taliban, known as the TTP, though a spokesman for the group denied any involvement in the attack.[1] Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying the attackers “have nothing to do with Islam”.[2]
In response to the attack, security has been beefed up in other major cities, including Islamabad, where police issued a security high-alert and deployed snipers at entry and exit points.[1] Meanwhile, Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, urged better intelligence gathering and security for police forces.[3]
The attack in Peshawar is the latest in a string of militant attacks in the city.[4] In March 2022, 56 worshippers were killed in a blast at a Shia mosque in the city, with Islamic State claiming responsibility.[5] Last August, the Taliban commander Umar Khalid Khurasani, whose brother claimed responsibility for the suicide attack as an act of revenge, was killed in Afghanistan.[2]
As the security situation in Pakistan continues to deteriorate, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a “comprehensive strategy” is in the works in order to restore law and order in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and the federal government will help provinces in increasing their anti-terrorism capacity.[4]
0. “Pakistan mosque attack kills more than 60 people” CNN, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/30/asia/peshawar-pakistan-mosque-blast-intl/index.html
1. “An explosion at a Pakistan mosque leaves dozens dead and more than 150 injured” North Country Public Radio, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/npr/1152450311/an-explosion-at-a-pakistan-mosque-leaves-dozens-dead-and-more-than-150-injured
2. “Pakistan Mosque blast Live Updates: 63 killed, 150 hurt at mosque in Pakistan's Peshawar; Taliban claims responsibility” Times of India, 30 Jan. 2023, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan-mosque-blast-live-updates-explosion-in-pakistan-peshawar-mosque-deaths-and-injured-latest-news/liveblog/97444662.cms
3. “Peshawar blast: 61 dead, over 150 injured in blast at mosque in Pakistan” India Today, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/pakistan-blast-peshawar-police-lines-area-explosion-death-toll-fatalities-injured-2328178-2023-01-30
4. “Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for mosque blast that killed more than 60 people” News8000.com – WKBT, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.news8000.com/news/national-world/pakistani-taliban-claims-responsibility-for-mosque-blast-that-killed-more-than-60-people/article_09b8181a-0464-556f-81b9-8df9ecf7d2aa.html
5. “Pakistan: dozens killed in mosque blast in Peshawar” The Guardian, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/30/pakistan-mosque-explosion-kills-worshippers-peshawar
