People identify the bodies of their relatives killed in the suicide bombing at a mosque in a hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan on January 30, 2023. MUHAMMAD RIAZ / AP
The Pakistani government hoped that the seizure of power by its Afghan Taliban allies in Kabul in mid-August 2021 would spell the end of insurgent violence in the region. It was wishful thinking. A suicide bombing at a mosque in the heart of Peshawar police headquarters in the north-west of the country on Monday 30 January killed nearly ninety people, mostly police officers, and wounded around one hundred and fifty.
This attack comes after the failure of a peace process initiated under the aegis of the Afghan Taliban between the government of Islamabad and the Pakistani Taliban movement, the TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan). An internal war in Pakistan that could strain relations between Islamabad and Kabul in the long term.
The circumstances of the attack could not be precisely determined by the experts on Monday evening. The first elements indicate that the explosion happened in the second row of believers, a few seconds after the imam started the prayer. Before mingling with the crowd, the suspect managed to get through several security checkpoints to enter the fortified area, dubbed the “red zone,” which houses an anti-terrorist department and several, in addition to the provincial police headquarters Secret services are located.
messy relationship
Many victims were trapped by the collapse of part of the roof and several walls. Rescuers were still on the job Tuesday early in the day trying to find survivors under the rubble. According to Peshawar Police Chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan, there were three to four hundred people inside the mosque, raising fears of a higher toll. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the sponsors wanted to destabilize the country.
Sarbakaf Mohmand, a TTP commander, claimed responsibility for the attack. But hours later, the movement’s spokesman, Mohammad Khurasani, denied any responsibility and said he was not targeting mosques and religious sites. He even added that the perpetrators of such acts could face reprisals. These contradictory statements point to possible differences within the movement.
Read also Article reserved for our subscribers Islamabad intensifies attacks on the Pakistani Taliban
However, this attack on Pakistan is part of a chaotic relationship between the TTP and the government that has vacillated between dialogue and repression. On November 9, 2021, the Pakistani government signed a month-long ceasefire agreement with the TTP, which provided for the release of around 100 fighters from the Pakistani Taliban movement. On December 9, believing that the Pakistani government “moves on[ait] kill [ses] combatants”, the TTP had refused to renew the ceasefire and clashes resumed.
You still have 35.75% of this article to read. The following is for subscribers only.