The terrorist used a police uniform in Pakistan’s Masjid bomb blast

Key takeaways: 

• The terrorist who attacked a mosque in the Pakistani area of Peshawar on Monday used a police uniform to gain entry to the site, police have said.

The terrorist reportedly penetrated through the main entrances of the secure zone where the mosque is.

The terrorist used police uniform as a disguise to attack the masjid: 

Police head Moazzam Jah Ansari said they had CCTV video showing the man’s last movements and were closing in on the “terror network” reliable.

He also confirmed a skull found at the site where the attackers were.

Monday’s blast – one of the fatal attacks in Pakistan in years – occurred at a 50-year-old mosque in a high-security police area called Police Lines. At least 100 individuals were killed, of whom were police officials.

Authorities failed to check the attacker as they thought he was one of them, Mr Ansari said. “I accept this was a security failure. My men could not control it. This is my responsibility.”

He said police had traced the bomber’s bike journey before the attack using CCTV video.

As the man parked his bike, he was “in a police uniform and was sporting a mask and a helmet”. After entering the compound, the terrorist asked a constable where the mosque was.

Mr Ansari – who leads the force in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region – added that ball bearings had been discovered which were used in a suicide jacket.

He stated that 10-12kg (22-26lb) of TNT explosives were used in the explosion, which forced the mosque’s roof to collapse on the hundreds of praying in the structure.

Police do not think the man was a “lone wolf” and have advised there is a whole network behind him.

An assertion that the hard-line Islamist militant mob Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) carried out Monday’s bombing was later rejected by the group, which accused it on the commander of a breakaway section.