A blast ripped through a mosque in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu, local officials confirmed Friday, leaving three dead — including a policeman — and 12 injured.
The incident took place within the parameters of Police Station Doaba during the Friday sermon — a time when scores of believers are gathered at a mosque for their weekly prayer.
Hangu District Police Officer Nisar Ahmed said 30-40 people were under the rubble — as the mosque’s roof caved in — and an operation was underway to rescue them.
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.
The timely action by the police resulted in fewer casualties following the blast, they added.
