Rabat – A devastating blast targeting a mosque in the city of Hangu, located in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, left at least five people dead, and 10 others injured on Friday.
According to Al Jazeera, the incident occurred shortly after a horrifying bombing in the neighboring Balochistan province’s Mastung district, which claimed the lives of at least 52 people and left dozens more wounded.
Fazal Akbar, a senior police officer in Hangu, recounted details of the attack to reporters, explaining that two suspected attackers attempted to breach a police station near the mosque. Swift action by the officials prevented a potentially larger tragedy, he noted.
Akbar also told Al Jazeera that “one of them blew himself up at the gate, but the other managed to enter the mosque. Most of the people inside the mosque managed to escape after the first blast, which is why the casualty count is low.”
Reports indicate that there were between 30 to 40 individuals inside the mosque, participating in the Friday prayers when the explosion occurred.
Bilal Faizi, spokesperson for the Rescue 1122 helpline, gave details about the latest casualty figures. “We now have five confirmed casualties, while another six critically injured have been transferred to the hospital,” he said.
Faizi added that the blast caused the mosque’s roof to collapse while Friday prayer sermons were ongoing. Efforts to clear the debris and search for potential survivors were underway, with heavy machinery being employed for the task.
The Pakistani Taliban said they were not behind Friday’s blast. Earlier this year, Pakistan suffered a devastating blast that claimed the lives of over 100 people in a mosque located within police quarters in Peshawar, another city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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