Peshawar- At least 11 people were killed and over 20 others were injured today when multiple blasts ripped through a cinema in Peshawar.

Over 70 people were watching a movie show today afternoon when three blasts occurred inside cinema hall.

Initial reports said these blasts were due to hand grenades lobbed by terrorists.

Police and rescue teams rushed to the blast site and shifted the injured to nearby Lady Reading hospital.

The blast occurred in ‘Shama’ cinema situated at Pajgi road, heart of the city, close to ANP’s Bacha Khan Center and Radio Pakistan’s local office.

The blasts came eight days after hand grenade attack on a cinema in the same restive town.

Janduallah group of Taliban had claimed the responsibility of twin blast in ‘Picture House’ cinema on February 2 and had threatened for more attacks on film theaters, saying that pictures and movies were prohibited in Islam.

Today blast occurred at time when government and Taliban were engaged in a dialogue process and both sides had claimed to be following ceasefire during talks.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, President Mamnoon Hussain, PTI Chief Imran Khan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah had strongly condemned the blasts in Cinema.

They expressed their deep shock and sorrow over the loss of precious innocent lives. They described the tragic incident a highly inhuman act of terrorism and said that the elements involved in the cowardly act of terrorism will no more remain at large and no effort will be spared to bring them to court of law.