A devastating suicide blast ripped through a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, during crowded Friday prayers, leaving at least 31 people dead and 169 wounded. Funerals for some of the victims are already underway as the community grapples with the immense loss, with the death toll tragically expected to rise.
The attack occurred at the Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque on the city’s outskirts. Eyewitnesses described an “extremely powerful” explosion as prayers were just beginning. Reports indicate a brave confrontation at the mosque’s entrance, where volunteer security personnel tried to stop the attacker. A gunfight ensued, with a volunteer firing at the bomber before he detonated his explosives.
Following the blast, scenes of chaos unfolded. Hospitals were overwhelmed with victims, including children, carried in on stretchers with blood-soaked clothes. Friends and relatives wept as medics worked tirelessly. Security forces now heavily guard the mosque, where grim evidence of the attack remains.
The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for this horrific act, marking it as the deadliest incident in Islamabad since the 2008 Marriott hotel bombing. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to bring those responsible to justice, with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar condemning it as a “heinous crime against humanity.”
This tragedy comes amidst a backdrop of escalating insurgencies in Pakistan, particularly in border regions. Shiite communities, who constitute 10-15% of the population, have historically been targets in the region. The nation mourns another senseless act of violence.
