Unimaginable tragedy as terror revisits Peshawar.

PESHAWAR -- As many as 59 people were killed while over 150 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself at a mosque situated in Police Lines of the provincial capital here on Monday, officials said.

Security officials, confirming that it was a suicide attack, said the bomber was standing in the front row at the time of the explosion.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Ijaz Khan told media that the mosque's roof also fell after the blast. 'The mosque's main hall, which could hold 250 to 300 people, collapsed but the rest of the structure is still standing. A number of jawans are still trapped under the rubble, and rescuers are attempting to bring them out,' he said. He admitted that it was a security breakdown, adding that 300 to 400 police officers were present in the Police Lines at the time of the explosion.

Mohammad Asim, a spokeswoman for Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), verified the number of casualties, saying there were 59 lives lost till the filing of this report while over 150 were wounded and being treated at the hospital. The casualty figure may raise as the condition of many injured persons was stated to be critical.

According to authorities, Sahibzada Noor Ul Amin, the mosque's Imam, was also killed in the bomb. A police official, who sustained injuries in the incident, said that he was also standing in the rows to offer prayer at the time of the blast.

'Just when the takbeer was uttered and the Imam started the prayer, there was a deafening sound. However, thank God, Allah saved the lives of some of us,' he added. Another witness told the media that he was on his way to the mosque when the explosion occurred. 'There was a huge explosion. There was smoke everywhere following the explosion,' the eyewitness added. He went on to say that after regaining consciousness, he saw that the mosque's roof had collapsed.

According to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi, six injured persons were provided emergency medical treatment, who are still trapped under the wreckage, and rescue operation is underway for their safe recovery, till filing this report.

An official of the bomb disposal unit said it was a suicide bombing, and that around 15kg explosives were used in the incident. Officers from various departments were deliberating the case till the filing of this report while some speculated that the bomber might have arrived in a car dressed as a cop.

However, some investigators still doubted the suicide attack as they said the...