An explosion at a mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar killed at least 22 people and injured dozens on Monday. This is reported by state television and the Pakistani police.
The explosion occurred during afternoon prayers in a highly secured neighbourhood because there were several police buildings. There were reportedly about 260 people in the mosque at the time of the blast.
A spokesman for Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar confirms that the bodies of the dead have been brought in, “but we will announce the number later”. However, he confirmed that 90 injured people were brought in, some in serious condition.
Local authorities believe it was a suicide attack, although no one has yet claimed responsibility. Part of the roof and a wall of the mosque building have collapsed, and a rescue operation is underway to rescue the people trapped under the rubble.