Eight people have been killed and 136 injured at Peshawar religious school.
The outburst occurred at 8:30 am at the Jamia Zuberia religious school in Dir Colony, Karachi, where around 5000 students gathered to hear a lecture by influential cleric Rahimullah Haqqani.
The police reported that the cause of the explosion was five kilograms of high-quality explosives, brought to the inside of the lecture hall in a bag. Police superintendent Rajab Ali of the terrorism department confirmed this explosion was being treated as an act of terrorism.
Mohammed Kashif Nadeem, a 26-year-old student who was in the lecture hall when the explosion happened, said that his teacher and many of his friends had injuries but that he had saved his best friend from the blast.
The sudden outrage injured many others and it appears that the explosive had been placed near the stool where the teacher stood. The person who brought in the bag left the lecture hall before the blast. Nadeem said the explosion caused confusion and made everyone start running after it happened.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the Pakistani Taliban released a statement denying any involvement and condemning the targeting of a religious school as a “reprehensible act.”
Shortly after the attack, residents rushed to the seminary to see their sons or relatives who were studying there. The dead and injured were both immediately taken to a hospital which was placed on red alert. A spokesperson for the hospital, Mohammad Asim, said: “We have received seven dead bodies. Eighty-three are injured and, out of that, five have been shifted to Hayatabad burn centre as they were severely burned” (Pakistan: deadly bombing at Peshawar religious school, 2020).
Like any other act of corruption, this bombing is a tragedy. Events like this impact a community massively, between injuries and the death of innocents. It also seems that similar events are happening more and more, suggesting the need for increased awareness and security in any potential target locations.
Soleil
Bibliography:
The Guardian. 2020. Pakistan: Deadly Bombing At Peshawar Religious School. [online] Sophia Saifi and Zahid Shah Sherazi, C., 2020. At Least 7 Dead After Blast At Religious School In Northern Pakistan. [online] CNN.[Accessed 4 November 2020].
Jerseyeveningpost.com. 2020. Deadly Bomb Attack On Islamic Seminary In Pakistan. [online] [Accessed 4 November 2020].
Yerepouni-news.com. 2020. Pakistan: Deadly Bombing At Peshawar Religious School | Yerepouni Daily News. [online] [Accessed 4 November 2020].