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IS claims responsibility of Peshawar mosque attack

Apart from 56 fatalities, as many as 194 others have recieved injuries after the alleged Afghan suicide bomber exploded himself during the Friday’s prayer at the mosque…reports Asian Lite News

The Islamic State (IS) of Khorasan has claimed the responsibility of the terror attack on a Shia mosque in Pakistan’s Peshawar during the Friday’s prayer, in which at least 56 people killed.

The IS of Khorasan, which is active in the region, has claimed that it was an Afghan suicide bomber who executed the terror attack. The IS has made the claim in a press note.

Apart from 56 fatalities, as many as 194 others have recieved injuries after the alleged Afghan suicide bomber exploded himself during the Friday’s prayer at the mosque.

The Shia mosque, where the explotion took place, reffered as Imam Bargah is located at Qissa Khwani Bazaar in Peshawar’s Kucha Risaldar area.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan’s Special Assistant Barrister Saif has confirmed that the explosion was a suicide attack.

“There were two offenders who entered the mosque and then engaged in an exchange of fire with the security forces, following which one attacker was killed by the police. An eyewitness identified a person dressed in black as the suicide bomber, saying he entered the mosque, shot and killed the security guard first and then fired five to six bullets at the police. Subsequently, he rushed towards the main hall and blew himself in front of the pulpit.”

Separately, a local person claimed that despite residents urging for tighter security due to a recent hand grenade attack in the area, this suicide bombing was “neither anticipated nor prevented”.

Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack and ordered to provide immediate medical aid for the wounded.

Incidentally, the suicide attack took place a day after DG ISPR Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar denied the reports about former DG ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (recently posted in Peshawar as Corps Commander) networking with opposition members to foil the proposed no-trust movement against the Prime Minister.

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Peshawar mosque blast death toll rises to 56

Talking to the media, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari said two police officials were deputed at the mosque for security….reports Asian Lite News

A suicide blast inside a Shia mosque shook Peshawar’s Kocha Risaldar area on Friday, with officials saying that at least 56 people were killed and 194 were injured, Dawn reported.

Mohammad Asim, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), confirmed the casualties, adding that some of the injured were in critical condition.

Officials, who termed the incident a suicide attack, initially said that two attackers were involved. However, CCTV footage released later in the day showed a lone attacker clad in a black shalwar kameez reaching the mosque in the city’s Qissa Khwani Bazaar on foot and brandishing a pistol.

He opened fired on police personnel deployed outside the main entrance for security before running inside. The attacker also opened fire on a man who tried to stop him and managed to enter the mosque, where worshippers had gathered for Friday prayers, after which an explosion took place.

Talking to the media, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari said two police officials were deputed at the mosque for security.

He said that one constable was killed while another police official was in critical condition. The senior police officer said that around five to six kilogrammes of explosive material was used, adding that there were no prior reports about the attack.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Mohammad Ijaz Khan confirmed the chain of events, adding that one police official was killed in the gunfight outside the mosque.

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IS Claims Responsibility For Kandahar Mosque Bombings

The three back-to-back explosions hit the mosque, one of the biggest in Kandahar city, reports Asian Lite News

The Islamic State (IS) terror group on Saturday claimed responsibility for the bombings inside a mosque in Afghanistan’s Kandahar city, which claimed the lives of 47 persons and injured 90 others, a local official has confirmed.

The official from Kandahar’s Cultural and Information Directorate confirmed the updated death toll.

In a statement, the IS claimed responsibility and said that two assailants were involved in the deadly attacks which took place on Friday inside the Bibi Fatima Shia mosque in police district one (PD1) when hundreds of worshippers were offering prayers.

Witnesses told TOLO News that three back-to-back explosions hit the mosque, one of the biggest in Kandahar city.

Kandahar
Photo taken on Oct. 15, 2021 shows the site of an explosion at a mosque in Kandahar city, southern Afghanistan. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam /Xinhua/IANS)

The Taliban government has condemned the attack.

Zabihullah Mujahid, deputy minister for the Ministry of Information and Culture, called it a “major crime”.

The UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan said that those behind the incident should be brought to justice.

Friday’s attack came exactly after a week when another Shia mosque in Kunduz city was hit by a suicide bombing which claimed the lives of at least 50 people.

(Photo: Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah/IANS)

The IS-K, a local branch of the IS, had claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the deadliest since the US forces left Afghanistan at the end of August.

Following the Taliban takeover, the security situation in Afghanistan has remained calm yet uncertain.

A series of bombings were launched by the IS affiliated militants in recent weeks.

On Thursday, a Taliban district police chief was killed and 11 people were wounded when a vehicle came under attack in Kunar province.

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