Taliban denies causing Pakistan mosque suicide bombing that killed 100

The Pakistani Taliban have backtracked on claims they were behind a suicide bombing in a police mosque on Monday, as the death toll from the attack reached 100.

Rescuers were still retrieving bodies from under the rubble at the mosque inside a police headquarters, a day after an explosion brought the roof and walls down on worshippers in one of the worst attacks targeting security forces in years.

Most of the dead were police officers, while roughly 170 were wounded in the attack.

The Pakistani Taliban denied involvement in the blast in the restive north-western city of Peshawar, hours after Omar Mukaram, a member of their leadership council, took responsibility for what he called a revenge attack.

Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the militants, instead claimed it was not the group’s policy to target mosques, seminaries and religious sites. Those attacking such sites could face punitive action, he said.

The Afghan Taliban, who are a separate organisation but share close ties and similar views, also condemned the attack.

Pakistani security sources speculated the attack had been carried out by a splinter faction of the group.

Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute director at the Wilson Centre, a Washington-based think tank, cautioned against accepting the Taliban’s denials of involvement.

Mr Mukaram leads a faction called Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, that is “very much a part of [the Pakistani Taliban] after a brief split some years ago”, he said.

“It’s one of [the militants’] most brutal factions and is happy to do things, like attack mosques, that [the Pakistani Taliban] claims it rejects.”

Pakistan has seen a spike in violence along its northwest districts since the Afghan Taliban conquered Kabul 18 months ago.

The Pakistani Taliban led a long bloody insurgency from the early years of the century, trying to overthrow the government in Islamabad.

The militants then took refuge with their Afghan brethren when they were pushed out of Pakistan by a series of costly military offensives last decade. Analysts believed that the fall of Kabul may have emboldened the militants to renew their own campaign.

However, Pakistan is also home to many other militant groups, including a local branch of the Islamic State, which has also carried out deadly bombings.

The authorities admitted major security lapses had allowed the bomber to enter a mosque in a highly sensitive police compound housing intelligence and counter-terrorism offices.

Kashif Aftab Abbasi, a senior police officer, said: “There was a security lapse and the inspector-general of the police has set up an inquiry committee, which will look into all aspects of the bombing.”

“Action will be taken against those whose negligence” caused the attack, he said.

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, tweeted his condolences, saying the bombing in Peshawar was a “horrific attack”.

“Terrorism for any reason at any place is indefensible,” he said.