Pakistan
Death toll rises to 62 in Peshawar mosque blast
Worshippers at the mosque in Peshawar had gathered for Friday prayers, when congregations are usually the largest.
Peshawar: The death toll from deadly blast in a mosque in Peshawar has risen to 62 on Saturday, according to hospital and police officials.
Yesterday’s attack is one of the deadliest in years and stoked fears of terrorism returning to Peshawar, capital of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.
In the attack, a suicide bomber shot the police guards at the entrance to a packed mosque at Peshawar's historic Kissa Khuwani Bazaar before detonating his explosives-laden vest in the middle of worshippers who were offering Friday prayers.
Worshippers at the mosque in Peshawar had gathered for Friday prayers, when congregations are usually the largest.
Many of the injured were in critical condition, officials at the nearby Lady Reading Hospital said, updating the previous toll.
Following a preliminary investigation, the official said it was a suicide bombing targeting civilians.
In the meantime, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that police and investigation agencies have identified all three suspects connected to the attack.
On his official twitter handle, the federal minister shared a video message stating that police would reach those suspects in one or two days.