A powerful blast struck Madrassa-e-Haqqania in Akora Khattak, Nowshera district, during Friday prayers, killing at least five people and injuring 20 others, police said. Among the deceased was Hamidul Haq Haqqani, the caretaker of the madrassa and chief of Jamiat Ulema Islam (Sami Group) (JUI-S), confirmed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Hameed said the explosion is suspected to be a suicide bombing, with Hamidul Haq Haqqani appearing to be the primary target. “We had provided six security guards to Hamidul Haq,” he stated.
District Police Officer (DPO) Abdur Rasheed confirmed that the attack took place during the Jumma (Friday) prayers. Rescue teams quickly arrived at the scene, evacuating the injured and deceased to hospitals.
An emergency was declared in both Nowshera and Peshawar hospitals to manage the influx of victims. A doctor at Qazi Hussain Medical Complex reported receiving five bodies and at least 20 injured individuals.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi have strongly condemned the attack. Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUIF) leaders have issued an appeal for blood donations to aid the injured. Authorities have launched an investigation into the attack, as security forces work to determine the perpetrators behind the deadly explosion.
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