(VOVWORLD) -Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif said Monday that the mosque explosion in Peshawar city, northwest Pakistan, was a suicide attack and said those responsible will be punished.
 Security forces block the suicide bombing's site at a mosque in Peshawar. Photo: AFP
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The death toll from the suicide blast has increased to 47. 150 people were injured. The blast occurred at a mosque located in a complex containing the provincial police headquarters and the city’s counter-terrorism police department.
At the time of explosion, there were 260 people praying at the mosuqe including many police officers. Part of the mosque collapsed, and many people are still trapped under the rubble.
Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commander for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter. The Taliban branch in Pakistan, operating as “Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan” (TTP), has been insurgent for the past 15 years.
The explosion came weeks after the TTP ended a ceasefire with the Pakistani government and increased attacks in the country.
After the explosion, Pakistani localities declared a state of high alert, increased checkpoints, and deployed additional security forces. In Islamabad, snipers were deployed on buildings and entrances to the city.