With anti-police sentiment continuing to rise in Pakistan, a variety of tensions have been released into the country. With tensions on the rise, a suicide bomber was able to get into a mosque and blow himself up. Ever since November 2022, violence has increased between the government and the Taliban due to a cease-fire that broke down. This attack is one of the worst to date, killing at least 59 and injuring 157 more. Among those killed, almost half were police officials. There were over 400 people in the mosque at the time of the blast, which took down the roof and second story, trapping many in the rubble. The bomber was able to slip through multiple security checkpoints to reach the “Red Zone,” the compound where police and anti-terrorism officers operate. 

The city of Peshawar, which borders Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, has been the target of frequent terrorist attacks by the Pakistani Taliban and Islamic State. No group has taken responsibility for this attack. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told reporters, “This is no less than an attack on Pakistan… I have no doubt terrorism is our foremost national security challenge.” The bomber was wearing a police uniform and crossed through the armed barricades by motorcycle. Officials are not sure if the attack was done alone or with help on the inside. 

In the La Jolla community, students are deeply concerned for Pakistani security and worry about the suffering families who have lost loved ones. Soren Martin, a junior here at La Jolla High, says, “I think it’s a tragedy and I wonder what systems are in place to keep this from happening again.” He wonders how so many explosives were able to get through to a place so secure and what will change to stop this from reoccurring. Another student, West Gartland, exclaimed, “It is very sad and I feel very fortunate for the life I have here in America.” While those in La Jolla are showing their support through prayers and blessings, others have taken to the streets throughout Pakistan and the cities of America in order to protest these devastating acts.