Suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on Islamabad’s outskirts kills at least 31 and wounds scores

A suicide bomber targeted a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad during Friday prayers, killing 31 people and wounding at least 169 others, officials said. The attack marks a rare bombing in Pakistan’s capital as the government struggles to control a surge in militant violence across the country.

Television footage and social media showed police and residents rushing the wounded to nearby hospitals, with some victims reported to be in critical condition. The attack on the Khadija Al-Kubra mosque left a scene of devastation, with bodies and wounded people scattered across the carpeted floor.

Witness Hussain Shah described praying in the mosque courtyard when he heard a sudden explosion. “I immediately thought that some big attack had happened,” he said. Upon entering the mosque, he encountered chaos with wounded victims screaming for help. Shah counted approximately 30 bodies inside, with the number of wounded appearing much higher.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, though suspicion is likely to fall on militant organizations such as the Pakistani Taliban or the Islamic State group, both of which have previously targeted Pakistan’s Shiite minority. The attack underscores the continuing sectarian tensions in the country, where Shiites represent a religious minority.

While attacks in Islamabad are relatively rare, Pakistan has experienced a troubling resurgence in militant violence in recent months. Authorities have primarily blamed this uptick on Baloch separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP operates independently from Afghanistan’s Taliban government but maintains alliances with them. Additionally, a regional affiliate of the Islamic State group has been increasingly active in Pakistan.

In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, officials initially reported fewer casualties, but Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon later provided the updated death and injury figures.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif wrote on social media platform X that preliminary findings suggested the suicide bomber had been traveling between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Asif noted that mosque security guards had attempted to stop the suspect, who opened fire before detonating explosives among worshippers.

The Afghan government swiftly condemned the attack while rejecting Pakistan’s suggestion of links to Afghanistan. The Afghan Defense Ministry criticized Pakistan’s defense minister for “irresponsibly” connecting the bombing to Afghanistan. Pakistan frequently accuses the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan of harboring militants, including members of the Pakistani Taliban, an allegation that Kabul consistently denies.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the attack, stating that it violates “the sanctity of sacred rituals and mosques and targets worshippers and innocent people.”

The international community, including the United States and European Union, along with various embassies in Islamabad, condemned the attack and offered condolences.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended sympathies to victims’ families and called for comprehensive medical assistance for the wounded. “Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” Zardari said. Sharif demanded that “those who are responsible must be identified and punished.”

The bombing occurred while Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was on an official visit to Islamabad, attending an event with Prime Minister Sharif several miles from the attack site.

Raja Nasir, a prominent Shiite leader, expressed profound grief over the attack and criticized the security failure. “Such a terrorist act in the federal capital is not only a serious failure in protecting human lives but also raises significant questions about the performance of the authorities and law enforcement agencies,” he said. Nasir also urged people to donate blood for the wounded as Islamabad hospitals reported urgent need for blood supplies.

This bombing represents the deadliest attack in Islamabad since 2008, when a suicide bombing at the Marriott Hotel killed 63 people and wounded over 250. More recently, in November, a suicide bomber struck outside a court in the capital, killing 12 people.

The mosque attack comes just days after the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army conducted multiple attacks in southwestern Balochistan province, killing approximately 50 people. Security forces responding to those incidents reportedly killed more than 200 militants, according to military statements.

In response to the Islamabad bombing, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced the cancellation of her scheduled appearances at a music and kite-flying festival in Lahore, though the event itself was expected to continue.