Suspected suicide bombing in Pakistan mosque kills 33 people

At least 33 people were killed and 150 were wounded in an apparent suicide bombing at a mosque in northern Pakistan, prompting its leaders to put the country on high alert.

The attack came during afternoon worship in Peshawar, close to former tribal areas that border Afghanistan where militancy has been steadily rising.

A frantic rescue mission was under way at the mosque, located within the compound of a Pakistani police headquarters, which had an entire wall and some of its roof blown out by the force of the blast.

Bloodied survivors emerged limping from the wreckage, while bodies were ferried away in ambulances as the rescue operation continued.

“Many policemen are buried under the rubble,” said Muhammad Ijaz Khan, the Peshawar police chief, who estimated that between 300 and 400 officers usually attended prayers at the mosque.

“Efforts are being made to get them out safely,” he added.

The Peshawar police headquarters is in one of the most tightly controlled areas of the city, housing intelligence and counter-terrorism bureaux, and is next door to the regional secretariat.

The country was put on high alert after the blast, with checkpoints ramped up and extra security forces deployed. In Islamabad, the capital, snipers were deployed on buildings and at city entrance points.

Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistani prime minister, said in a statement: “Terrorists want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending Pakistan. Those fighting against Pakistan will be wiped out from the face of earth.”

The security situation in Pakistan has deteriorated since the return of the Taliban in Kabul.

Islamabad has accused the new rulers in Afghanistan of failing to secure their mountainous border, allowing militants to travel back and forth without being detected.

The biggest threat comes from a resurgent Pakistani Taliban, a separate movement from the Afghan Taliban but with a similar ideology, which has sharply increased low-casualty attacks on police and security forces.