89 Killed In Suicide Bomb Attack At Mosque In Pakistan's Peshawar'

SUSHMITA BHARADWAJ

A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a crowded mosque in a highly fortified security compound in Pakistan on Monday, killing 89 people.

The attacker appeared to have passed through several barricades manned by security forces to get into the "Red Zone" compound that houses police and counter-terrorism offices in the volatile northwestern city of Peshawar, police said.

The mosque hall was packed with up to 400 worshippers at the time and many of the 170 wounded were in critical condition.

The death toll rose to 59 after several people succumbed to their wounds, hospital official Mohammad Asim said in a statement. Police said 27 of the dead were police officials.

Local Taliban known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella group of Sunni and sectarian militant groups, denied responsibility.

The bomber detonated his load at the moment hundreds of people lined up to say their prayers, officials said.

An inquiry is underway into how the attacker breached such security and whether there was any inside help. ∎

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