JAKARTA - An explosion at the mosque killed at least 19 people and injured dozens more in northwestern Pakistan's Peshawar City on Monday, a hospital official said, and many of the victims were police officers gathered for the Zuhur Prayer.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion that ripped the overcrowded mosque, causing the walls to collapse.
The building is located in a heavily fortified city area that houses police stations and residences. There are at least 260 people inside, said police officer Sikadar Khan.
"Some buildings are collapsed and some people are believed to be under it," he added.
Footages from state broadcasters PTV showed police and residents scrambling to clear debris from the site of the explosion and carry injured people on their shoulders.
"We received 19 dead and more than 90 injured," said Mohammad Asim, spokesman for Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar.
"Many others are in critical condition," he continued.
Asim continued, from the injured, up to 15 of them were in critical condition.
Peshwar, which is on the edge of the Pakistani ethnic district and borders Afghanistan, is often targeted by militant groups including the Pakistani Taliban.
The group known as Tereek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is the umbrella of the Sunni and sectarian groups that want to overthrow the government and replace it with their own government.
TTP has stepped up attacks since ending a so-called peace deal last year with the Pakistani government, facilitated by the Afghan Taliban.
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