Five confirmed dead after suicide bombing in Hangu police mosque

HANGU:  A powerful explosion has been reported inside a mosque during Friday prayers in Hangu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to District Police Officer (DPO), the blast occured during the last Khutba of the Friday prayers at the Police Line Mosque in Doaaba, Hangu.

“More than 30 to 40 people were inside the mosque when the blast occurred and multipe casualties are feared,” according to the DPO who maintained that the number could not be ascertained because people were trapped under the debris of the damaged mosque.

UPDATE: First images of the mosque where the explosion took place, ambulances have been rushed to the site of incident: Police/Rescue Officials https://t.co/1bod3K7x0U pic.twitter.com/wsuwcw3hpl

— The Khorasan Diary (@khorasandiary) September 29, 2023

While the nature of the blast and the number of injuries are yet to be ascertained, secuirty forces and rescue officials have reached the site and are carrying out rescue work.

This is a second major bomb blast that has taken place today on the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi. Earlier a bomb went off in procession in Mastung district of Balochistan killing more than 50 and injuring even more.

The Hangu blast took place just when the governemnt of Balochistan was announcing a three-days mourning in the province.

The blast is a stark reminder of a similar attack that was carried out on Police Lines mosque in Peshawar in January that took the lives of 59 individuals.

UPDATE 1

According to rescue 1122 officials, two individuals have lost their liveswhile six are severely injured, and have been transferred to Combined Military Hospital (CMH). “One rescue vehicle are actively participating in the operations, while two ambulances are en route from Kohat,” rescue officials maintained.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister (CM) KP, Azam Khan, instructed the rescue agencies and local administration to immediately initiate relief operations. The CM has also directed the relevant Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner to oversee emergency activities and has ordered a state of emergency in Hangu hospitals.

UPDATE 2

Police say two suicide bombers using a vehicle had planned to enter the mosque but police personnel on duty engaged them before they could make it to the mosque. One of the bombers was killed on the spot while many of the individuals at the mosque ran out after hearing the firing.

A much bigger calamity was averted as a larger number of individuals had left the mosque before the second attacker could reach there to blow himself up, according to police.