“India extends its deep condolences to the families of the victims of the terror attack in Peshawar yesterday. We strongly condemn this attack, which has taken the lives of so many people” Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson, ministry of external affairs, tweeted.
A bomber sneaked into the walled compound that housed the Peshawar Police headquarters. He set off his explosives vest at a time when more than 300 worshippers were offering prayers at the mosque situated in the premises.
A government hospital spokesperson told Reuters that several of the critically injured died, a majority of them were police personnel. The bombing has wounded more than 150 people.
The investigation is underway to ascertain how the bomber managed to sneak into a high security compound.
Sarbakaf Mohamand, a Pakistani Taliban commander, claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media post. However, the Pak Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), distanced itself from the bombing saying it was against its policy to target mosques, seminaries and religious places.
The TTP is a dominant terror group in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of north west Pakistan. Last November, it ended a ceasefire with the Pakistan forces at a time when the country was reeling under floods that killed nearly 2,000 people and shattered more than 20 lakh homes.
The TTP has waged an insurgency with the Pakistan forces for the past 15 years. It has been fighting for the implementation of stricter Islamic laws in the country, release of its members from government custody and reduction of Pakistan forces in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
The bombing took place a day before an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission arrives in Islamabad for talks on a stalled $7 billion bailout.
The latest attack was even more deadly that one claimed by Islamic State militants in March last year, when they bombed a Shia mosque, killing at least 58 people.