At least 31 people were killed and more than 169 injured in a powerful suicide bomb blast at a Shia mosque in Pakistan's Islamabad on Friday, as reported by news outlet Dawn.
The explosion occurred at the Khadijatul Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area of the federal capital when a suicide bomber detonated himself during Friday prayers, police sources told news agency PTI.
Key developments so far
- The blast was caused by a suicide bomber who was stopped at the gate of the Imambargah but detonated himself, killing several people on the spot.
- Rescue teams and police rushed to the site, while an emergency was declared in Islamabad hospitals as the injured were shifted for treatment.
- Meanwhile, a district administration spokesperson said security forces sealed off the blast site.
- Television footage and images on social media showed police officers and local residents carrying the injured to nearby hospitals.
- The attack occurred during the visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who arrived in Pakistan on a two-day state visit on Thursday.
- President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the blast, saying, "Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity."
- Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed "deep grief" and said he "strongly condemned" the attack.
- Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said targeting places of worship was a direct attack on humanity, religion and social values and could not be tolerated.
- Pakistani parliamentary affairs minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry described the attack as a "cowardly act" in a post on X. Interior minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the blast and directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.
- Foreign minister Ishaq Dar also condemned the attack saying "Targeting places of worship and civilians is a heinous crime against humanity and a blatant violation of Islamic principles."
- Police said the nature of the explosion was being investigated, though it appeared to be a suicide attack.
- No group has claimed responsibility so far, but police sources said the attacker was a foreign national with alleged links to Fitna al Khwaraji, a term used for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
- Minister of state for interior Tallal Chaudhry said authorities have gathered key information about the suicide attacker through forensic analysis.
- "Information has been obtained about the terrorist who carried out the suicide attack. He is not an Afghan national, but we have information about the number of times he travelled to Afghanistan after the forensics of his remains," Chaudhry told reporters, Dawn reported.
- The minister further said that rescue teams from multiple departments reached the blast site within 10–12 minutes of the explosion.
- Chaudhry also revealed that a first cousin of Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi was among those killed in the attack.
- The minister added that Naqvi visited the targeted imambargah, where he reviewed the situation and collected details related to the attack.
- The attack comes less than three months after a suicide bomber killed 12 people outside a district and sessions court building in Islamabad.
- Officials fear the death toll could increase as some of the injured were in critical condition.
