Peshawar suicide bombing an act of revenge: Police

The TTP or Pakistan Taliban which has stepped up attacks, however said that it has become less brutal and does not target places of worship

New Delhi, Feb 01: Pakistan witnessed yet another gory attack and this time the target was the policemen gathered at a Mosque in Peshawar.

The attack according to the police was to demoralise the force. The police have been taking action against terrorists on the frontline and hence these attacks against the security forces are on the rise, city police chief, Muhammad Ejaz Khan told news agency AFP.

The terrorists have off late very regularly targeted the security forces in Pakistan. Attacks are on the rise in the areas near Peshawar which border Afghanistan. The number of attacks rose since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which is behind a majority of these attacks are shielded by the Taliban.

Reports said that the a group which is affiliated with the TTP every now and then could be behind the attack. The bomber had entered the Mosque posing as a guest. He had on him nearly 12 kilograms of explosives, investigations have revealed.

Wajahat Ali, a 23-year old constable whose feet were broken in the attack told AFP from hospital that he remained trapped under the rubble for seven hours with a dead body over him. He also told the news agency that he had lost all hope of survival.

The dead include 97 police officers and three civilians. 27 are still in a critical conduction, Rana Sanaullah, Pakistan's Interior Minister told the National Assembly. 27 patients remain critical, he also informed.

The investigation agencies are probing how such a major security breach could have happened in one of the most secure areas of the city. The area houses intelligence and counterterrorism bureaus and is also next door to the regional secretariat.

Scores of slain police officers have already been buried in several mass prayer ceremonies. Coffins were lined up in rows and draped in the Pakistan National Flag while a guard of honour had been performed.

Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif in a statement said that terrorists want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending Pakistan.

On Tuesday the White House called the attack unconscionable.

Denial: The Pakistan Taliban which is separate from the Afghan Taliban however denied carrying out the attack.

Since its inception in 2007 the Pakistan Taliban or TTP has carried out scores of attacks. In November it ended the cease-fire with Pakistan since which attacks have gone up. However in recent times, it claims that it has become less brutal and does not target places of worship.