An attack on a mosque in the Pakistani city of Peshawar has claimed dozens of lives. More than 30 people have been killed, police said, but the number is likely to rise.
The violence started when two armed people opened fire on police outside the Shia mosque, after which officers fired back. A police officer and one of the attackers were killed. The other attacker then ran into the mosque and set off a bomb.
Friday prayers were underway at the time of the attack. Witnesses told AP news agency that about 150 people were inside. Dozens of injured people were taken to hospital. Many of them are in critical condition.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. In the past, similar attacks on Shia targets in the region have been perpetrated by Islamic State or a Pakistani branch of the Taliban. Peshawar is located in the Afghan-Pakistan border region, the cradle of the Taliban, who see Shias as apostates.
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