[Today’s Prayer] Suicide bombing kills at least 5, wounds dozens at Taliban seminary in Pakistan

A suicide bombing occurred at a mosque inside a Taliban seminary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan on the 28th ahead of the Ramadan fasting period, killing at least five worshippers and injuring dozens, local police said.

Local police chief Abdul Rashid said the suicide bombing occurred in Akora Khattak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

He added that Hamidul Haq, the leader of a faction of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islami (JUI) party, was also seriously injured. Rashid said police were investigating and the dead and injured were being taken to hospital.

Haq is the son of Maulana Samiul Haq, the “father of the Taliban,” who was killed in a stabbing attack at his home in 2018.

Haq’s family has appealed to his followers to remain peaceful. Authorities said Haq was in critical condition. Haq was in charge of the Jamia Haqqania seminary, where many Afghan Taliban had studied in the past two years.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Zulfikar Hamed said the attack appeared to be a suicide bombing, but bomb disposal experts are still investigating. No group has immediately claimed responsibility.

Source: News

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

God, we are saddened to learn that a suicide bombing at a mosque in the Taliban seminary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, has injured dozens and killed five people.

As the families of those who lost their lives and the injured suffer in fear, we pray that you would allow mercy and grace to those who will bear witness to your gospel true peace in their hearts.

The attack on the Afghan Taliban's educational institutions is surprising, but as the leader of the Islamist party, Hamidul Haq, is also seriously wounded in this attack, we pray that the Taliban will realize that the false truth they seek will not protect them, and that their hearts will be awakened to the true truth of Jesus Christ, the source of life.

Pour out Your Spirit of repentance on the hearts of the members of the Taliban, that they may see the futility of the Islam they have blindly followed as right, and follow the way of Jesus Christ, who is the only way of truth and salvation.

Have mercy on the Pakistan YGs in their time of tribulation, that Your work may begin through them, and that they may now rise up as a holy generation of Pakistani youth to fulfill Your will.

As the power of death has tried to engulf Pakistan in the run-up to Ramadan, we trust that the gospel of Jesus Christ, the giver of life, will prevail. May this spur the global church to take the gospel to the poor and needy souls of Pakistan and to members of the Taliban.

Above all, may the local churches in Pakistan become more prayerful and bold in proclaiming the gospel and fulfill its mission to bring God's comfort and peace to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Persia, and the nations.

And may the Pakistani people be a people who proclaim Your coming to Persia and all the nations!