At least 30 people were killed and over 50 injured when a suicide bomber detonated himself on Friday at a Shia mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar in Pakistan, officials confirmed. This is one of the deadliest attacks in recent months, targeting the country’s minority Shias. 

The violence started during the Friday prayer in old Peshwar city when two attackers first started shooting at police officials standing near the gates of the mosque. A suicide bomber among the attackers then rushed inside the mosque and detonated the bomb, Muhammed Ezaj Khan, Peshawar Police chief, said. 

One of the police officials was killed in the attack. 

No group has yet claimed the responsibility for the bombing. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid told the media that there were no prior inputs or alerts about the possible bombing in the city. 

“No threat alert was received … we had a meeting a couple of days ago but no threat was received; we had no information about it,” Rashid was quoted as saying by Express Tribune. Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned the bombing and sought a detailed report from the interior ministry. 

Peshawar, the capital of the northeastern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa, has seen an uptick in violent incidents in recent months, especially after the Taliban’s return in Afghanistan.

The Pakistan Taliban, a militant group that shares fraternal and ideological ties with the Afghan Taliban, has grown its influence in the tribal region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which borders Afghanistan. 

Since the last year, the incidents of targeted assassinations and abductions have been on rising. Traders, business groups, religious groups reported an increase in threat calls and intimidation. 

Significantly, ISIS, a terror group known for targeting Shia Muslims, has also been active in the region for some months now.  Sunni extremists - the majority of Pakistani Muslims are Sunnis  - denounce Shias as heretics who should be killed.  

(SAM)