Suicide bombing at Pakistan mosque: Death toll reaches 96

Islamabad: The death toll in the suicide bombing in a mosque in Pakistan’s Peshawar province mounted to 96 on Tuesday after more bodies were recovered from the attack site.

The explosion occurred in the central hall of the mosque leading to roof of the place of worship crashing down when devotees were offering prayers on Monday, Dawn News quoted police as saying.

More than 90 per cent of the victims were policemen, between 300 and 400 of whom had gathered in the compound’s mosque for prayers, as per Peshawar police chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan.

The suicide bomber who blew himself up was present in the first row, police said.

A joint investigation team, comprising intelligence, police and security officials, has been formed to probe the incident, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mauzzam Jah Ansari told mediapersons.

After the TTP denied their involvement in the attack, police suspect that Jamaat-ul-Ahrar may be involved in the incident, he said.IANS