A suicide bomber detonated explosives during crowded prayers at a mosque inside a police compound in Pakistan on Monday, causing the roof to cave in. At least 34 people were killed and 150 wounded, officials said, AP reported.
Most of the casualties were police officers. It was not clear how the bomber was able to slip into the walled compound, which houses the northwestern city of Peshawar’s police headquarters and is itself located in a high-security zone with other government buildings.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has strongly condemned the attack.
In a statement, Sharif said those behind the incident "have nothing to do with Islam".
He added, "The entire nation is standing united against the menace of terrorism".
According to AP, Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commander for the Pakistani Taliban, on Twitter claimed responsibility for the attack which ripped through the mosque during noon prayers, causing a wall to collapse on top of worshippers.
The building is located inside a highly fortified compound that includes the headquarters of the provincial police force and a counter-terrorism department.
More than 300 worshippers were praying inside the mosque, with more approaching, when the bomber set off his explosives vest. Many were injured when the roof came down, according to Zafar Khan, a local police officer.
"We're getting that the terrorist was standing in the first row," Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Geo TV.
Footage from government broadcaster PTV showed police and residents scrambling to remove debris from the blast site and carrying wounded people on their shoulders.
The attack was the city's worst since March last year when a suicide bombing at a Shi'ite Muslim mosque during Friday prayers killed at least 58 people and injured nearly 200. ISIL militants claimed responsibility for that bombing.
MNA/PR