Suicide attack in Peshawar kills 5, injures 21

A powerful bomb explosion in the outskirts of Peshawar on Monday killed at least five people and injured 21 others.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Peshawar Sahibzada Anis confirmed the death toll. He said the blast was so powerful that the nearby mosque had collapsed. 

The blast occurred at 7:45 am near a police station in the Badhbeer area, he said, adding that some people may be trapped under the rubble.

The police and relief workers have arrived on the blast site. There are some children and a woman among the injured.

According to a Geo News correspondent, the police have confirmed that blast was a suicide attack.

The suicide bomber was taking his explosive-laden car to some sensitive place. However, he blew himself up when he was signalled to pull over, sources said.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the terrorist suicide attack. The two leaders expressed their deep sorrow and grief over the loss of lives and said that the government will speed up efforts to wipe out extremists and terrorists from the country.