Islamabad

At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured after a suicide bomber detonated explosives at a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, officials said on Friday.

The blast occurred at the Khadijatul Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area, triggering panic among worshippers gathered for prayers.

According to police and eyewitness accounts, the attacker was intercepted at the entrance gate of the imambargah. Unable to enter the premises, he detonated the explosives at the spot, causing extensive casualties.

Confirming the toll, a district administration spokesperson said in a post on X that 31 people lost their lives, while 169 sustained injuries, several of them critically.

No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, police sources indicated that the attacker was a foreign national with suspected links to Fitna al Khwaraji, a term used by Pakistani authorities to refer to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Earlier, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon had said that over 80 injured persons and at least 15 bodies were shifted to hospitals soon after the blast.

Rescue teams, including police and Rescue 1122 personnel, rushed to the site and launched emergency evacuation operations. Army troops and Rangers were deployed to cordon off the area as security agencies began search and clearance operations in the surrounding locality.

An emergency was declared at major hospitals in the capital, including the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), to accommodate the large number of injured.

The attack comes less than three months after a suicide bombing outside a district and sessions court in Islamabad, which had claimed 12 lives.

The blast occurred on a day when Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is on a two-day state visit to Pakistan, having arrived on Thursday.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas strongly condemned the attack.

“Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” President Zardari said in a statement.

Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said attacks on places of worship represent a direct assault on humanity, religion and societal values, and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry visited PIMS hospital and met the injured, while Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry termed the incident a “cowardly act” and called for national unity against terrorism.

“Such acts cannot weaken the resolve of the nation. We must stand united for peace, tolerance and stability,” he said.

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Police officials said investigations are underway to determine the full nature and planning of the attack.