According to the Peshawar Police, more than 200 injured were taken to Lady Reading Hospital; a hundred are under treatment and the rest have been discharged.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place on Monday inside the temple, located in a highly fortified compound that includes the police headquarters of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the offices of the Anti-Terrorism Department.

There were up to 400 faithful in the mosque; most of the victims of the bombing were policemen.Rescue operation continues while the rubble is removed.

According to security officials, the suicide bomber was in the front row during the Zuhr (afternoon) prayer when he detonated the explosive. The imam of the mosque, Sahibzada Noor Ul Amin, was also killed in the blast, police said.

The provincial health department declared emergency state in the Peshawar district, calling all medical staff to remain on duty while an appeal for blood donations was launched.

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