Deadly Blast During Friday Prayers Kills Multiple in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

A catastrophic blast hit Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akhora Khattak, close to Nowshera city in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, during Friday prayers, killing a number of people and injuring many others. The authorities believe it was a suicide attack.

The suicide bomber was reportedly within the main hall of the mosque and blew himself up as the prayers were ending, according to early reports.

Local reports assured IANS that at least five individuals have been killed and more than a dozen others injured. The toll is likely to go up, as a big group was present in the mosque when it exploded.

At least five are killed, and more than 12 are seriously hurt. Senior religious leader Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani also got seriously injured," said Zulfiqar Hameed, Inspector General (IG) of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Hospital sources report that most of the wounded are in critical condition, and further casualties can be expected. Other reports indicate that over 24 people who were at the mosque have suffered serious injuries.

Initial investigations point to the possibility that the attack was meant for Maulana Hamidul Haq, a top member of the religious political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Samiul Haq (JUI-S).

Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akhora Khattak is one of Pakistan's most well-known and influential religious seminaries, with thousands of students. The seminary has long been linked to the Afghan Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

JUI-S leader Maulana Samiul Haq, who was a staunch Taliban supporter, was killed by unknown assailants at his Rawalpindi home in November 2018. The madrasa has been identified as an early recruiter for various TTP and Afghan Taliban commanders.

No one has taken responsibility for the attack so far. Intelligence sources, however, suspect that Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) or its offshoot group Daesh may be responsible for the bombing, considering their rivalry with the Taliban.