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Death toll climbs to 63 in deadly Pakistan IS mosque attack

Pakistan Explosion
Posted at 8:09 AM, Mar 05, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-05 10:09:29-05

Officials in Pakistan are vowing to hunt down and arrest the masterminds behind a deadly mosque attack claimed by an Islamic State affiliate.

The assault killed 63 people and wounded nearly 200.

Pakistan Explosion
People attend the funeral prayers for the victims of Friday's suicide bombing in Peshawar, Pakistan, Saturday, March 5, 2022. The Islamic State says a lone Afghan suicide bomber struck inside a Shiite Muslim mosque in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar during Friday prayers, killing dozens worshippers and wounding more than 190 people. (AP Photo/Muhammas Sajjad)

IS said in a statement Saturday the lone suicide bomber was from neighboring Afghanistan. He shot two police guarding the Shiite Muslim mosque in northwest Peshawar before entering inside and exploding his device.

The attack took place as worshipers knelt in Friday prayer.

The IS affiliate, known as IS in Khorasan Province, is headquartered in eastern Afghanistan.