PESHAWAR, Feb 2 (EW): The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber -Pakhtunkhwa Moazzam Jah Ansari on Thursday said that the terrorist responsible for the suicide bomb blast at the Peshawar Mosque had been identified through CCTV footage.
Addressing a press conference, the IGP stated that the assailant was dressed in a police uniform and was riding a motorcycle with a helmet and mask on. He added that the motorcycle’s engine and chassis number were fake.
Ansari detailed that the attacker pretended to take the vehicle to the side, reached the police lines and asked a constable where the mosque was. The bomber was found in footage from Khyber Road.
He stated that the head of the suicide bomber found at the scene was the same as the person identified on the CCTV footage.
The IGP also said that the assailant was not an individual, but rather had a whole network supporting him. He stated that the police were close to the terrorist network responsible for the bombing.
‘No drone attack’
According to the IGP, the terrorists disturbed the peace of the provincial capital and police personnel were now close to their network. He added that “revenge would be taken for every single martyr”.
IGP Ansari urged people not to spread rumours regarding the blast as they only exacerbated the pain of those deceased. He clarified that speculations of a drone attack were false and that there was no “crater” at the scene of the blast.
He furthered that no identity card of the assailant was found at the sight and that according to the bomb disposal unit’s report, the blast was indeed a suicide bombing.
Ansari said that TNT explosives were used in the blast, while other explosive materials used to demolish buildings were also used.
He stated that five to 10 people were martyred due to the blast but the majority of deaths were caused by the collapse of the 2,500 feet roof. He added that there were no pillars in the hall which caused the roof to cave in.
“The mosque was built 50 years ago while the mosque room was completely closed and was an old hall,” he said. He maintained that the incident was his fault, not the sepoys.
Referring to the police protests held in Peshawar on Wednesday, Ansari said that “a new storm was created before the province even finished with the burials of the deceased”.
According to the IGP, police youths are ready to take revenge and were incited to protest against the bombing.
Police Linen terror attack
At least 100 people, many of them policemen, were martyred after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines during the afternoon prayers on Monday, police and medics said.
Officials confirmed that it was a suicide attack and that the bomber was standing in the front row at the time of the explosion. Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Ijaz Khan said the bomber detonated his load at the moment hundreds of people had lined up for prayers.
The latest attack targeting police ripped through the mosque during the prayers. The mosque is located inside a highly fortified compound in Peshawar that included the headquarters of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) police force and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) offices.
A day earlier, the K-P police detained 23 people in connection with Monday’s suicide attack.
A joint investigation team (JIT) is investigating the bombing with a focus on finding out how the bomber breached the security in Peshawar’s ‘Red Zone’ which houses the offices of eight units of the law-enforcement forces, including the police.
