At least four people, including a police officer, were killed while 12 sustained injuries when two blasts rocked the Doaba police station in Pakistan`s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu on Friday, according to police.
Hangu District Police Officer Nisar Ahmed confirmed the casualties and injuries to Dawn.com.
He said the first blast took place at the entrance of the police station after which a number of people gathered at the site. “A few minutes later, another blast occurred inside a mosque situated in the premises of the police station.”
DPO Ahmed said the second blast took place during the Friday sermon. “The roof of the mosque caved in due to the impact of the explosion,” the official stated, adding that nearly 30 to 40 people were reported to be stuck under the rubble.
The official further said that heavy machinery had been called to retrieve the bodies and wounded persons.
However, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi told Dawn.com that the death toll from the blast had risen to five. He mentioned that six of the injured individuals were in critical condition and were currently receiving treatment.
Dawn.com’s correspondent present at the site said Rescue 1122 teams and locals in the area are leading the rescue operation.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
An eyewitness, Shahid Khan Zaman, told Dawn.com that at the time of the explosion, there were approximately 60 to 70 people inside the mosque.
According to him, the suspected suicide bomber tried to enter through the mosque’s gate, but the resistance from the police allowed most of the people to leave the premises. He added that the second suicide bomber detonated himself inside the mosque.
Meanwhile, in a statement, KP caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan sought a report on the incident from the police and instructed authorities to expedite the rescue operation.
He further directed the concerned commissioner and deputy commissioner to supervise the rescue activities and assure that best medical treatment was provided to the wounded. The CM also imposed an emergency in hospitals across Hangu.
Separately, former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his grief at the loss of lives in Hangu blasts, saying such attacks on the sacred day showed “the malevolent intentions of terrorists”.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Shehbaz stated that the nation stood united with the law enforcement agencies dedicated to safeguarding the country.
