A suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad killed at least 31 people and injured dozens more on Friday, marking one of the deadliest attacks to strike Pakistan’s capital in years.
The explosion occurred during Friday prayers at the Khadija Tul Kubra mosque in the southeastern Tarlai Kalan area, where hundreds of worshippers had gathered.
Authorities said 169 people were transported to hospitals following the blast, as emergency teams responded to scenes of extensive damage inside the mosque.
Officials described the attack as the deadliest in the country since January 2023, when a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar killed more than 100 people.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said security guards attempted to stop the attacker, who opened fire before detonating explosives among worshippers.
Asif alleged the suspect had been travelling to and from Afghanistan, though investigations remained ongoing.
Witnesses described hearing gunfire followed by a powerful explosion that tore through the crowded prayer hall.
Images verified by journalists showed bloodied bodies inside the mosque amid shattered glass and debris.
At the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital, adults and children arrived with severe injuries, some transported in private vehicles due to the scale of the casualties.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief and condemned the attack, with Zardari calling the targeting of civilians a crime against humanity.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar described the bombing as a “cowardly suicide attack on innocent worshippers”.
Prominent Shia leader Raja Abbas Nasir criticized what he called serious failures in protecting lives and questioned law enforcement performance.
Condemnations also came from abroad, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, all denouncing violence against places of worship.
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry rejected any justification for attacks on mosques, while Pakistan’s Taliban, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, denied responsibility.
The attack follows earlier deadly incidents in Islamabad, reflecting persistent concerns over militancy despite heavy security in the capital.