Coordinated attack leaves many dead and injured at mosque in Pakistan
An explosion at a mosque in Pakistan during Friday prayers resulted in multiple fatalities, primarily among police officers, according to hospital officials, reports BritPanorama.
Bilal Faizi, a senior rescue official, indicated that the majority of the casualties occurred as worshippers gathered for prayers. Eyewitness accounts described the mosque as severely damaged with the outer wall of police offices collapsed and smoke rising above the site. Debris covered the floor, and structural damage was evident throughout, with cracks in the walls and visible daylight streaming through the roof’s jagged holes.
Residents reported that gunfire continued for hours after the initial blast, indicating sustained violence in the area.
Following the attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the violence and called for swift rescue operations. Although no group claimed responsibility immediately, the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is likely to be implicated due to their history of similar incidents.
The bombing came just a day after a roadside bomb claimed the lives of six soldiers from a security forces convoy in the Hangu district of northwestern Pakistan. Concurrently, military operations led to the deaths of ten militants believed to be affiliated with the TTP.
In recent years, the TTP has escalated assaults on both police and civilians in Pakistan. A suicide bombing earlier this year at a mosque in Peshawar resulted in the deaths of 101 individuals, highlighting the ongoing security crisis in the country.
The TTP is a distinct entity yet collaborates with Afghanistan’s Taliban, which regained power in 2021. Pakistan frequently accuses Afghanistan of harboring TTP members and overlooking cross-border attacks, although the Kabul government denies these claims.
Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have deteriorated, particularly following Pakistani airstrikes targeting alleged TTP positions within Afghanistan in 2025. This led to border skirmishes, compelling mediation efforts by Qatar and Turkey, though the subsequent peace talks failed to yield a lasting agreement.
On the same day as the bombing, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported a meeting involving Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Prime Minister Sharif, Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Asim Malik. Kalin reaffirmed Turkey’s intention to contribute to resolving tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan through dialogue, as reported by the news agency.
In parallel developments, Kalin met with Afghan government officials, including deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat, to discuss ongoing tensions between the two nations.
The situation remains fluid, as authorities assess the aftermath and seek to address security challenges amid rising militant activities.
