Several people are believed to have lost their lives and dozens injured in a suspected suicide blast during Friday prayers. The blast ripped through Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akhora Khattak area near Nowshehra city of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Initial investigations have revealed that the target of the suicide bomber was Maulana Hamidul Haq, senior leader of religious political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Samiul Haqqani. The madrasa hosts thousands of students and is known for being supportive of the Afghan Taliban and the Tehreek- e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) The latest attack has not yet been claimed by any organisations. However, it is expected that the Taliban rivals, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), or its affiliate group Daesh, may be behind the attack. The number of casualties is expected to rise as a large number of people were inside the mosque when the explosion took place.
