Pakistan: 17 suspects arrested in connection with deadly Peshawar mosque blast

Pakistan's security agencies arrested 17 suspects in connection with the suicide blast in a high-security zone mosque in Peshawar that killed 101 people, including 97 policemen, as Army chief Gen Asim Munir vowed zero tolerance for terror groups and directed his generals to eliminate the threat of militancy.

A Taliban suicide bomber who was present in the front row during the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers on Monday blew himself up, causing the roof to collapse on the worshippers.

Sources said that the security agencies have arrested 17 suspects involved in the devastating blast - the deadliest attack on security personnel in decades in Pakistan.

The arrests have been made from the close vicinity of the Police Lines area and the suspects were shifted to interrogation cell for investigation, sources told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, saying it was part of a revenge attack for slain TTP commander Umar Khalid Khurasani who was killed in Afghanistan in August last.

The development comes as Pakistan's top generals vowed that perpetrators will be brought to exemplary justice.