Peshawar Mosque blast- Barbaric act of targeting innocent children

 Seven including children martyred more than 100 injured in blast 

The heartless and cruel terrorists targeted the religious seminary in Dir Colony Peshawar when young students were busy taking religious lesson. The terrorists targeted the innocent young students in a barbaric attack which martyred at least 09 and more than 112 injured.

There were nearly 1,000 children in the seminary at the time of the blast. Majority of the victims were children and instructors as the blast took place during classes at the religious school. It was a worst act of terrorism in last few years in Peshawar.

It was a cruel and inhumane act and must be strongly condemned.  This attack is an attempt to create sense of insecurity and fear.  The terrorist are once again trying to regroup and create panic through such coward attacks targeting the innocent young boys.

We need to take the security situation seriously. We must investigate that how this bomb blast took place in Peshawar mosque and seminary despite the warning issued by National Counter-terrorism Authority (NECTA). NECTA issued warning about possible terror attacks in Peshawar and Quetta. NECTA specifically mentioned that political and religious gatherings and leaders could be targeted.

In 2014, Army public School was targeted by the terrorists and nearly 150 students and teachers were martyred. That attack shock the whole nation and decisive action was taken against terrorist safe heavens in Tribal areas.

The security forces conducted counter-terror operations across the country which helped to control the law and order situation and significantly reducing the terror attacks. In last few months, a renewed campaign of terror attacks against security forces and citizens has returned. The security forces came under attack in North Waziristan and Baluchistan in which more than one and a half dozen soldiers and officers were martyred.

A new wave of terrorism seems resurfacing in the country. It is not a good sign. Pakistani economy is in crisis and renewed attacks will make matters more complicated. The COVID-19 infection rates are once again on the rise.  

KP police said the initial investigation revealed it to be an improvised explosive device (IED) planted inside a bag. A man entered in the seminary with a bag and left it there. According to bomb disposal Squad, five to six Kilogram of high quality explosives was used in the blast.

No group has yet claimed responsibility of the attack, which comes a couple of days after a remote-controlled bomb exploded at the Hazarganji fruit market in Balochistan's capital, Quetta, killing at least three people died and injuring seven.

The blast also comes just a few days after the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) had issued a threat alert for Peshawar and Quetta, saying the banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was planning terrorist activities in the two cities. In its statement, it had said the TTP aimed to target religious and political parties in bomb attacks and suicide bombings.

There seems security lapse in this bomb blast. Despite announcing the maximum security alert, the terrorist very easily entered into a mosque and seminary without any resistance and security check and placed bomb inside he main hall where more than 1,000 students were busy in their lessons. 

The government must focus on providing security to people. We know that terrorist choose the soft target. We need to make proper security arrangements for all public places. We have suffered a lot as the result of terrorist activities. We have bear loss of human lives and economy. We cannot allow theses blood thirsty monsters to return and cause damage to our society.  

                                                      The Editors