An explosion has killed at least eight people, injuring more than 110 in a blast on Tuesday morning at a religious school in Peshawar, Pakistan.
“The blast took place in the school during a Quran class. Someone brought in a bag [with explosives],” a senior police official told media.
While confirming the detail, Mohammad Ali Gandapur, another senior police officer said two teachers were among the wounded.
According to a senior superintendent of Police Mansoor Aman, an improvised explosive device (IED) was used in the attack. “Five kgs of explosives were used in the attack.”
Currently, the area has been cordoned off, and police officials are collecting evidence. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to the KPK police’s bomb disposal unit chief Shafqat Malik, the device used in the blast was sophisticated and involved a timed detonation.
“The forensic evidence that we have collected shows that it was about 5kg of explosives, and it was a timed device.”
“It appears to be a high-quality device, which seems to use TNT. There has been colossal damage, and this [attack] has been planned carefully.”
Television footage from the scene of the incident showed considerable damage to the interior of the mosque, particularly its prayer hall.
A majority of those wounded were being brought to the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), the city’s main government hospital, while 26 others were treated at the Naseerullah Khan Babar hospital.
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According to an official at the LRH, five of the wounded were in critical condition.
“[We] have referred them to the burns center, and two are in the operating room,” he told media by phone. “Most of the victims have received burn injuries.”
Tariq Burki also confirmed that there were four children among those wounded. All of those who were killed, as well as most of the injured, were aged between 20 and 40.
According to the local hospital source, four of the deceased were students between the ages of 20 to 25.
However, the wounded brought to Naseerullah Khan Babar hospital were almost “all been discharged.”
“They all had minor injuries, fractures and such,” the NKB hospital official said.
Pakistan Before School Explosion
Since 2007, Pakistan has battled the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Pakistan Taliban. The militant group was formed and held control over several districts and carried out unceasing attacks against civilian and security targets across the south Asian country.
However, violence had sharply decreased since 2014 when Pakistan launched a series of operations to remove the TTP from its headquarters in the country’s northwest tribal region. The state operation forced many fighters and commanders to reportedly move into neighboring Afghanistan.
Since 2017, the frequency of blasts like today’s attack has reduced, but sporadic attacks against civilians and security forces continue.
