Pakistan: Death toll climbs in Peshawar mosque attack

The death toll in a suicide bombing in the northwestern city of Peshawar has risen to at least 100, a hospital spokesperson said on Tuesday. Some 150 people were wounded in the attack.

A number of bodies were recovered overnight and several victims died of their injuries in hospital. Rescue services were still working to clear the area and possibly save more victims throughout Tuesday.

"This morning we are going to remove the last part of the collapsed roof so we can recover more bodies, but we are not hopeful of reaching any survivors," Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson of the 1122 rescue agency, told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency.

At least 20 police officers killed in the bombing were buried after a prayer ceremony.

This is the latest in a string of attacks targeting police in Pakistan.

What happened in the attack on the mosque in Peshawar?

A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque in a security compound in Peshawar during afternoon worship on Monday. More than 300 worshippers were in the building at the time.

Following the blast, the majority of the roof caved in — injuring many more people, according to local police official Zafar Khan.

It remained unclear how the attacker was able to enter the high-security area, home to police and regional government headquarters, with explosives.

"Yes, it was a security lapse,'' said Ghulam Ali, governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is the capital.

Abbasi added that "there was a security lapse and the inspector-general of the police has set up an inquiry committee, which will look into all aspects of the bombing.

"Action will be taken against those whose negligence'' allowed the attack to happen, he said.

Pakistani Taliban walks back responsibility claims

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Pakistani Taliban denied it had been involved after an initial assertion by one of its commanders. 

Local journalist Yusra Askari told DW how the confusion about responsibility had left the people of Peshawar reeling and unsure of how to react. The Pakistani Taliban, Askari said, had claimed they were "not involved in bombing any holy sites or any mosques."

"At the moment we remain at a loose end. We do not know who actually carried out the attack," she added.

Leaders condemn attack

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the "sheer scale of the human tragedy is unimaginable," and called the bombing an "attack on Pakistan."

"Terrorists want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending Pakistan," Sharif said in a statement.

His predecessor Imran Khan also expressed his condolences, calling the bombing a "terrorist suicide attack."

Messages condemning the attack and expressing condolences for the victims and their families also came from the US and Saudi embassies, as well as the United Nations.

sdi, es/rt (Reuters, AFP)