A suicide bomber targeted a mosque in Mohmand Agency's Anbar tehsil during Friday prayers, leaving at least 28 people dead and 31 others injured, official of the political administration said.
Assistant Political Agent Naveed Akbar told South Punjab News that the injured had been transported to hospitals in Bajaur Agency, Charsadda and Peshawar for treatment.
The bombing took place in the village of Butmaina in the Mohmand tribal district bordering Afghanistan, where the army has been fighting against Taliban militants.
Akbar said that the bomber came in as Friday prayers were in progress and blew himself up in the main hall. A curfew was later imposed in the area.Another local government official confirmed the information.
Shireen Zada, a resident who had prayed at another mosque, said he heard the blast as he was walking home.
“I rushed to the spot and when I went inside the hall there was blood and human remains everywhere and people crying out,” he said.
“I brought my pick-up truck, loaded three wounded and drove them to the hospital in Khar,” Shireen Zada said, referring to the nearest town.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif later condemned the bombing, saying the government would remain steadfast in their fight against extremists.
“The cowardly attacks by terrorists cannot shatter the government's resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country,” read a statement from Nawaz Sharif's office.
Jamaatul Ahrar, an offshoot of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility of the attack.
PESHAWAR: At least 28 people were killed while another 31 injured in a suspected suicide blast inside a local mosque in Mohmand Agency during Friday prayers.
Confirming the incident, assistant political agent told The Express Tribune that the mosque was located in village Payee Khan in Anbar tehsil of the agency. “It was a suicide blast,” the assistant political agent quoted a witness as saying.
A young victim of Friday’s blast is being given medical care at Agency Headquarters Hospital in Mohmand Agency.
“The suicide bomber was in crowded mosque, he shouted
‘Allahu Akbar’, and then there was a huge blast,” Naveed Akbar,
deputy administrator of Mohmand agency said
‘Allahu Akbar’, and then there was a huge blast,” Naveed Akbar,
deputy administrator of Mohmand agency said
A second regional official confirmed the bombing in the village of Payee Khan, in the troubled region of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) bordering Afghanistan.
“Many people were gathered inside the mosque where a suicide bomber blew himself up,” said Shaukat Khan, another official in Fata.
The country’s frontier regions, which are deeply conservative and hard to access due to rough terrain, have long been the sanctuary of fighters from al Qaeda, the Taliban and other extremist groups.
PM condemns attack
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the bombing, saying the government would remain steadfast in their fight against extremists.
“The cowardly attacks by terrorists cannot shatter the government’s resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country,” read a statement from PM’s office.
TTP Jamaatul Ahrar claims responsibility
Meanwhile, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attack.
In an emailed statement, TTP JA spokesperson, Ehsanullah Ehsan, said a suicide bomber targeted the peace committee.
On Thursday, a woman was killed in a hand grenade attack in Lower Mohmand Agency. An official of political administration said unidentified militants lobbed grenades and opened fire at the house of a pro-government tribal elder Malik Nasir Khan in Shah Alam Sali, Michni. As a result, a woman who was inside the house was killed. However, the militants fled the site after retaliatory fire from the neighbouring houses.
Earlier this month, at least 14 people were killed and 52 others injured in a suicide attack at Mardan’s district courts. Six lawyers and two policemen were among the dead. The attacker lobbed a hand grenade at the entrance of the court before exploding himself at the main gate of Mardan district courts, DPO Mardan told
On September 2, at least 14 people were killed and more than 50 wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a court in Mardan in an assault targeting legal community that was claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar Taliban faction.
The group has also said it was behind an attack on lawyers in southwest Quetta, which killed 73 people on August 8, as well as the Lahore Easter bombing that killed 75 in the country's deadliest attack this year.
Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely attack soft targets such as courts, schools and mosques.
The army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the northwestern tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. Security has since improved though scattered attacks still take place.
