Death toll of Peshawar mosque blast rises to 62

CTD arrests two in connection with Peshawar blast

PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – Death toll of suicide attack at a mosque in Kocha Risaldar area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s capital has risen to 62 with five injured still in critical condition.

The blast tore through the Kocha Risaldar area of the city moments before Friday prayers were to start, shattering the interior and showering the streets with broken glass.

Special Investigation Team of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested two suspects in connection to investigation of previous day’s blast in provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Seven shells of 9MM pistol have been collected from the place of the incident while police have also recorded statements of the injured.

CTD has also filed a first information report (FIR) on the complaint of the station house officer (SHO) of the Khan Raziq police station. Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act has been added in the case.

The SHO stated in the FIR that he rushed to the mosque after hearing sounds of gunshots and a loud explosion. The suicide attacker first opened indiscriminate fire after entering the mosque and then blew himself up, he said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a tweet, said that the government had all information regarding origins of where the terrorists came from and are going after them with full force.

The prime minister said that he has been personally monitoring operations and coordinating with Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other law-enforcement agencies in the wake of the cowardly terrorist attack on Peshawar Imambargah.

Imran Khan further expressed his deepest condolences go to the victims’ families and prayers for the recovery of the injured.