PESHAWAR, Pakistan: The suicide bombing at a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan's northwest city, has reportedly left 47 fatalities, according to police there. They claim that the attack on Monday injured up to 150 worshipers.

On Twitter, a commander for the Pakistani Taliban named Sarbakaf Mohmand claimed responsibility for the assault. The organization's main spokesperson could not be reached for comment right away.

Government officials and opposition political parties across the country denounced the bombing. The provincial governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whose capital city is Peshawar, Ghulam Ali, expressed concern that the death toll might increase even further.

The mosque that was attacked is situated inside a sizable compound that also serves as the city's police headquarters, so policemen and police officers made up the majority of the casualties. When the bomber detonated his explosives inside the mosque, there were, according to the police, 300 to 350 worshipers present.

It is unclear how the bomber was able to get so far inside the high-security area of Peshawar without being noticed, where the police compound and a number of government buildings are located.

According to Zafar Khan, a local police officer, the impact of the explosion caused the mosque's roof to collapse, which caused many injuries.

A police official named Siddique Khan reported that Noor-ul-Amin, the leader of the prayers, was among the 34 fatalities. Officials reported that at least 150 people had been hurt.

Meena Gul, a 38-year-old police officer who survived, claimed to have been in the mosque when the bomb detonated. He said he has no idea how he managed to escape unharmed. He claimed that after the bomb detonated, he could hear cries and screams.

According to police, rescuers scurried to clear the mosque's grounds of piles of debris so they could reach worshippers who were still buried beneath it. As the number of casualties increased, many of the injured were listed in critical condition at a nearby hospital.

In a statement, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif denounced the bombing and instructed officials to provide the bombing victims with the best medical care possible. Additionally, he vowed to take "stern action" against the perpetrators of the attack.

Imran Khan, a former prime minister, also denounced the bombing and described it as a "terrorist suicide attack" on Twitter. The former premier expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. "We must strengthen our intelligence gathering and outfit our police forces with the necessary tools to combat the escalating threat of terrorism."

The Pakistani Taliban, are known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and are a separate group but also a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

The TTP has waged an insurgency in Pakistan over the past 15 years, fighting for stricter enforcement of Islamic laws in the country, the release of their members who are in government custody and a reduction of Pakistani military presence in the country’s former tribal regions.

Since the Pakistani Taliban brokered a cease-fire with government forces in November, there has been an increase in militant attacks in Pakistan.

The ceasefire came to an end as Pakistan struggled to recover from last summer's unprecedented flooding, which claimed 1,739 lives, destroyed more than 2 million homes, and briefly submerged up to one-third of the nation. More than $30 billion in damages were caused by the floods, and months later, authorities are still having trouble providing tents, shelter, and food for the survivors.

Cash-strapped In order to avoid default, Pakistan, which is presently experiencing one of the worst economic crises, is asking the IMF for a crucial instalment of $1.1 billion as part of its $6 billion bailout package. In recent months, negotiations to revive the bailout have stalled with the IMF.

Following Imran Khan's resignation in a vote of no-confidence in Parliament, Sharif's administration took office in April of last year. Khan has since advocated for early elections, claiming that his removal was unlawful and a result of a plot supported by the US. Khan's allegations have been rejected by Washington and Sharif.