Peshawar: India on Tuesday strongly condemned the terror attack in the Pakistani city of Peshawar that left 93 people dead and more than 200 others injured. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India extended its deep condolences to families of the victims of Monday's attack. "India extends its deep condolences to the families of the victims of the terror attack in Peshawar yesterday. We strongly condemn this attack, which has taken the lives of so many people," Bagchi tweeted.
According to security officials, the suicide attacker was present in the front row during the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers when he exploded himself. Sahibzada Noor Ul Amin, the Imam of the mosque, was also killed in the blast, local police said.The death toll from a powerful suicide bombing at a crowded Peshawar mosque in northwestern Pakistan rose to 93 on Tuesday after rescue teams retrieved more bodies from the debris, police said. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has taken responsibility for the attack which took place inside the mosque in the high-security Police Lines area on Monday.
According to security officials, the suicide attacker was present in the front row during the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers when he exploded himself. Sahibzada Noor Ul Amin, the Imam of the mosque, was also killed in the blast, police said. They said a total of 93 have died while 221 others have been injured in the attack. "The death toll of Peshawar blast has risen to 93 as rescue operation is still underway and debris of mosque is being removed," the state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
According to Police Control Room Peshawar, more than two-hundred injured were brought to the Lady Reading hospital, out of which about one-hundred injured are under treatment in the hospital and the rest have been discharged, it said. Earlier, Spokesperson of the Lady Reading Hospital Muhammad Asim said that 157 injured people were brought to the medical facility after the blast.
Bodies of 44 people were also transferred to the hospital. At the moment, around 65 injured are getting treatment at the Lady Reading Hospital. Some of the injured are critical, while condition of most is satisfactory, Asim said, adding that most people among the injured and dead included police officers. Capital City Police Officer, Peshawar (CCPO) Ejaz Khan, while talking to the media, said that it was too early to say anything as many policemen are still trapped under the rubble.
"Close to 300-400 policemen usually offer prayer at the Zuhr time. If a blast has taken place inside police lines then it is a security lapse but an investigation into the matter can reveal further," said the CCPO. Khan said that there is a possibility that the attacker may have entered the mosque compound in an official vehicle. "[The] CTD is investigating the case," he said.