2023 Peshawar mosque bombing
The 2023 Peshawar mosque bombing was a terrorist attack that killed 84 people on 30 January 2023, at around 1:30 p.m. PKT, in the city of Peshawar, in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. The mosque is located inside a high-security compound that includes the headquarters of the provincial police force and a counterterrorism department. At the time of the bombing, between 300 and 400 police officers were offering their Zuhr prayers.
| 2023 Peshawar mosque bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | |
Internal view of the mosque after the attack | |
| Location | Police Lines area, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 34°00′47″N 71°33′34″E |
| Date | 30 January 2023 13:30 (PKT) |
| Target | Police officers |
Attack type | Suicide attack |
| Deaths | 84 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 220+ |
| Perpetrators | Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of Pakistani Taliban |
The attacker, who was wearing a police uniform and arrived on a motorcycle, managed to pass multiple police barricades undetected. He detonated a suicide vest while standing in the first row of those praying, causing a powerful blast that collapsed the mosque's roof. 84 people were killed, with 90% of the casualties being police officers.
The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the bombing, stating that it was carried out to avenge the death of the founder and former leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. The main TTP group, through its spokesperson, later denied involvement but did not comment on statements made by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.
The bombing was widely condemned both domestically and internationally, with leaders from around the world condemning the attack and expressing condolences for the victims and their families. The United Nations Secretary General's spokeswoman called the bombing "particularly abhorrent" as it took place in a site of worship.