Updated January 30, 2023 at 6:31 AM ET
ISLAMABAD — An explosion struck Monday inside a mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. The death toll from the blast has risen to 28 and more than 65 wounded, according to Mohammad Asim, a spokesman at Lady Reading Hospital, a major hospital in the city.
At a press conference, Pakistan's interior minister said initial information suggested the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber.
The blast occurred in a crowded mosque frequented by police. Images shared on social media showed part of the outside wall of the building was blown away.
Peshawar is the capital of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It has been the scene of frequent militant attacks.
There have been increasing attacks on soldiers and police in Pakistan since the Taliban seized power of neighboring Afghanistan more than a year ago. An offshoot of the Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, often claims responsibility.
Also Monday, authorities announced a sudden public holiday as they prepared to host the president of the United Arab Emirates. But the Pakistani prime minister's office said that visit was called off – because of the weather.
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