Taliban Attack Leaves 19 Dead At Mosque In Peshawar

The Pakistani Taliban attacked at Shia mosque in Peshawar this week, killing 19 in the latest string of attacks by the terrorist group.

Three Taliban militants, including one wearing a suicide bomber vest, attacked the Shia mosque located in Peshawar's wealthy Hayatabad district on Friday. One of the attackers died when he detonated his suicide vest, one was shot by police and the other was arrested.

The attackers used grenades and firearms to kill at least 19 of the early morning worshippers who gathered at the mosque for prayer. Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif decried Friday's attack as an act of terrorism, saying his cabinet is dedicated to "eradicating the menace of terrorism." 

According to CNN, the country's local Taliban group confirmed in an email that it was behind Friday's vicious attack, describing it as retribution for the government's December execution of a Taliban militant.

One wounded witness to the terrorist attack recalled the horrifying scene to CBS News from a hospital bed.

"The prayer was about to end when a big bang happened, followed by dust and smoke. I have seen amid the smoke that one guy dressed in a police uniform was firing shots and then there was another blast," 22-year-old Syed Javed Hasan told the media outlet.

Taliban fighters are known for wearing Pakistani police uniforms during their attacks, as seen during the December Taliban attack on an Army school in Peshawar, when 148 were killed, mostly children.