Peshawar Bomb Blast: At Least 30 Killed In Mosque Attack Before Friday Prayers

At least 30 people were killed and over 50 others injured in a huge blast at a Shiite mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, a hospital official said Friday.

The blast took place moments before Friday prayers.

Initial reports said two attackers tried to enter the mosque, and then fired at the police officers on duty. The blast inside the Jamia mosque in Qissa Khwani bazaar area happened after the firing incident. The explosion blew out the windows of nearby buildings.

One of the attackers was killed in the gunfight, while the other ran inside the mosque and detonated a bomb, Dawn reported.

"I saw a man firing at two policemen before he entered the mosque. Seconds later I heard a big bang," Zahid Khan, an eyewitness, said, according to NDTV.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.

Asim Khan, media manager of Lady Reading Hospital, said 30 bodies had been brought to the facility so far, according to Dawn. Ten people who were brought to the hospital were said to be in critical condition.

The blast comes on the first day of a cricket Test match in Rawalpindi between Pakistan and Australia.

A tweet by the Peshawar CCPO (Capital City Police Peshawar) account said evidence has been collected from the site, but it was too early to say anything about the nature of the blast.

This is a developing story.