At least four people including a cop were killed while a dozen sustained injuries during an explosion inside a mosque located in the Doaba police station in Khyber Pakthunkhwa’s Hangu, Police said on Friday.
As per reports, the explosion occurred during the Friday prayer sermon inside a mosque.
Following the blast, security forces cordoned off the area.
Hangu District Police Officer Nisar Ahmed said 30-40 people were under the rubble — as the mosque’s structure was damaged due to the blast — and an operation was underway to rescue them.
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Ahmed said two suicide bombers were involved in the attack — one targeted the gate of the police station, and the other blew himself up inside the mosque.
The 12 people, rescued from the rubble, have been shifted to a nearby hospital, he said.
The police officials said that two militants tried entering the police station and started firing at the gate. They added that one of the terrorists was killed at the gate by the police in retaliatory fire.
Moreover, two policemen were also injured during the firing, officials of the law enforcement agency said, adding that the other militant blew himself up inside the mosque.
Caretaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Azam Khan, taking notice, directed officials to enforce an emergency in all hospitals of the city as he sought a report on the blast from law enforcers.
