Six killed in the explosion in the mosque called ‘University of Jihad’

At least six people have been killed in a suicidal attack in an Islamic seminar in northern Pakistan that has been described as the “University of Yihad.”

The explosion occurred in the mosque inside the Darul Uuloom Haqqania, in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about 55 km (34 miles) from the northern city of Peshawar.

Maulana Hamid Ul-Haq, a prominent cleric and the influential head of the school, is among the dead. Police said more than 10 people had been injured.

The seminar has long been associated with the Taliban since several of its members, including the founder of the group, Mullah Omar, trained there.

No one has assumed the responsibility of the attack, which was advanced at the beginning of the Sacred Month of Ramadan.

The explosion occurred after Friday’s prayers, according to the Local Police.

Haq’s son, Khuzaima Sami, told the BBC that hundreds were present in the main hall at the time of the explosion and feared there were many victims.

An investigation has been launched.

“The initial reports suggest that the explosion occurred after Friday’s prayers while people gathered to greet Hamid Ul-Haq,” said Abdul Rasheed, Chief of Police of the District, to the AFP news agency.

The seminar, where clergymen are taught, also known as Madrassa, is considered one of the most recognized religious educational institutions in the region and is an important academic center of the School of Thought ofoband.

It has been called the “University of Jihad” due to its notable students, including Jaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the Haqqani militant network, and his son Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Both men played key roles in leading the insurgency of the Taliban, first against Soviet forces and later against US and NATO forces, in Afghanistan.

Haq, 57, was the son of the influential Pakistani clergyman Maulana Sami Ul-Haq, widely known as the “father of the Taliban.”

Became the vice chancellor of the seminar after Murder in 2018, and the head of a faction of the religious political party Jamiat Ulema-E-Islam (JUI-F).

He also served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2002 to 2007.

Haq’s father had long -standing ties with the leadership of the Afghan Taliban, including Mullah Omar.

It was considered an influential figure to facilitate negotiations between the Taliban and the Pakistani government.

Despite their strong connections with the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, neither Haq nor his father were directly involved in any antiestatal movement.

Instead, they were often seen as intermediaries between Pakistan and the Taliban.

The president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack, like the Pakistani Taliban.

The group described Haq as a “preacher of truth, a compassionate teacher and an intrepid defender of the stability of the stepmother.”