Peshawar: Around seven students were killed by a powerful bomb blast in Pakistan's Peshawar. The incident took place on Tuesday in a Koran (Quran) study class at a religious school.
The blast occurred after the morning prayers at the seminary in Dir Colony in interior Peshawar city. Waqar Azeem, the Superintendent of Police, Peshawar said that a bag filled with explosives, which was kept close to the wall of the seminary by some unknown person went off, killing at least 7 students and injuring around 70 others.
The bag is believed to have had an IED device, which went off when the students started filling in the seminary, said Azeem. A police chief said that there was a general threat alert in the district.
Around 1,100 students study in the religious educational institution. There were around 40-50 children present in the seminary during the blast. The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mehmud Khan condemned the bomb attack on the innocents.
CM's Advisor on Information Kamran Bangash said that the perpetrators will be brought in front of the people and the ones who spread terror will never succeed in their mission. No group has claimed any responsibility for the attack yet.
The area where the incident took place has been sealed and the police are collecting evidence.
Maryam Nawaz, the Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz termed the incident as a "heart-rending" one. She said that nothing can compensate a mother who lost her child.