At least three people lost their lives, and around a dozen others sustained injuries, including Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani, the chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S), in a suicide bombing at Darul Uloom Haqqania, located in Akora Khattak, Nowshera district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
A statement from the Central Police Office confirmed that the explosion, which occurred during Friday prayer timings in the mosque inside the Darul Uloom Haqqania compound, was a suicide attack.
According to local media reports, Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani, son of the late JUI-S leader Maulana Samiul Haq Haqqani, sustained critical injuries in the incident.
Zulfiqar Hameed, Inspector General (IG) of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, informed local news channels that the explosion, suspected to be a suicide attack, claimed at least two lives and injured several others.
The attacker entered the mosque through a side gate while worshippers were offering Friday prayers.
Rescue and security teams promptly arrived at the scene and transported the victims to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) MTI stated that emergency services at LRH had been put on high alert in anticipation of casualties from the Akora Khattak blast. The hospital staff is fully prepared to handle the situation and provide necessary medical care to the injured.
Condemnations of the Attack
JUI-S spokesperson Aslam Ghori strongly condemned the attack, calling it a tragic and deplorable act. He expressed concern over the growing insecurity, noting that even mosques and religious institutions are no longer safe from such attacks.
Ghori also voiced frustration over the lack of response to public concerns, urging JUI workers and volunteers to offer all possible assistance to the victims. He also appealed for blood donations to support those injured in the blast.
Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani is the son of Maulana Samiul Haq Haqqani, a highly influential religious and political figure widely referred to as “the spiritual father of the Taliban.”
The JUI-S founder, Maulana Samiul Haq, was assassinated in his Rawalpindi residence by unidentified attackers on November 2, 2018, after being fatally stabbed.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly denounced the attack and expressed his prayers for the swift recovery of Maulana Haq and other injured victims, as stated by the Prime Minister’s Office.
He instructed authorities to provide the best possible medical care to the wounded and demanded a detailed report on the incident.
“Terrorist acts as cowardly and brutal as this will not weaken our determination to combat terrorism,” the Prime Minister stated. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to eliminating terrorism in all its forms from the country.”
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the explosion, expressing deep sorrow over the tragic loss of innocent lives, according to a post by the interior ministry on X.
He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured, including Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq Haqqani.
This is a developing story, more updates will follow soon.
Related Posts
